Love Me Like You Do
by Konetsu
Summary: She hadn't meant to be so nice. In fact, she tried numerous times to shake the annoying girl off her back. But Yazawa Nico became something to her. Something special. A new town, new faces; and of all the people she came to love... it was her.
1. Prologue

_**A/N:**_

So, my first Love Live fic. I didn't know whether to make it KotoUmi or NicoMaki… but in the end NicoMaki won the battle. I actually came up with majority of the plot in my head within two hours, so… it'll be, at most, 15 chapters.

And yes…. the title _is_ from that song in the very bad porno movie shown in theatres...

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Prologue**_

* * *

Nishikino Maki enjoyed performing. More than anything else, she loved sitting on stage, with her fingers flitting across a piano, lightly pressing keys that made the most joyous sounds echo within the dome-shaped performing arts center. Although her parents stressed she work in a hospital to ensure an earnest career in medicine and research, Maki took it upon herself to go with her passion with music, and focus on making beautiful sounds for people to enjoy.

That was all made null and void when her parents announced their change of estates, from one end of Japan to the heart of it - Tokyo. She had never visited a huge city despite her parents' wealth, keeping to herself and refusing to go with them to meetings that lasted days to weeks. And while her current city was plenty big enough for her, with all the necessities like a university, the performing arts center, and a camp for musicians, she didn't know if she was ready to begin her trials at a _real_ concert hall.

Her index finger pressed on a black key, the note slightly muffled underneath the sounds of the men going about their mansion, lifting boxes and stomping their way down to the main floor. Maki sighed and stood away from her upright piano, covering it in a black sheet to prevent dust or damage, although she knew they would take care of it to the best of their abilities.

"Maki," her mother called from the door, a smile on her otherwise solemn face. Her father was busy directing the movers, already out the door and ready to go. "It's time for us to leave… don't worry about your piano," she began, standing before her daughter. "We'll make sure it comes with us safe and sound, okay?"

Nodding silently, Maki dragged her feet across the wooden floor, eyes downcast and hair brushing against her eyebrows in a wavy mess. The rest of the house was empty, and cold, and Maki hated it. It had always been like that; because of how busy her parents were, but for some reason passing the kitchen and seeing it void of any of their little trinkets or pictures made her heart heavy.

As she took a seat in the back of their car, Maki lowered the window and took one last look at the mansion she had come to know quite well during her first fifteen years of life. It slowly, slowly became a mere speck until nothing but the dull road was in front of her.

Turning from the back window, she readjusted her seatbelt and watched the driver tip his hat, once he realized her eyes were on him. "We're gonna follow the movers; your parents will meet you there once everything is done at your old house," he explained, and she nodded.

"D-do you know why we have to drive there?" she asked shyly, twiddling her thumbs. It was awkward speaking to him without any sort of mediator to soothe her anxiety. She wasn't very good with adults.

He shook his head. "I'm not too sure, but it won't be long, I promise you."

As he blabbed endlessly to himself, Maki began to drift off, her eyes closing and head lolling to the side until it was stopped by the midnight tinted window, a cold sensation pressing against her temple. There was a slight shudder to her body as the car made its way down the road, a gentle speed so he wouldn't wake the heiress, but fast enough that she wouldn't have to endure it for too long.

Maki wished they hadn't run out of gas. She wished they could have just continued moving instead of stopping at the stupid gas station where this little girl was crying for her older sister. She wished she hadn't been so nice to find this stupid girl singing along to some stupid song at the stupid train station.

She wished she hadn't remembered Yazawa Nico's name.


	2. Cocoa

A/N:

Wow. Thanks a lot for your support guys. It really means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter One: Cocoa**_

* * *

Maki escaped the tight confines of the car the moment her driver stopped at the nearest gas station, multiple bows and apologies aimed towards her as she stretched her numbed limbs. Shaking her head, Maki assured him it was alright - and headed inside to buy a few snacks and drinks. Judging by the time on her phone, she had more than five more hours to endure before they even got to Tokyo; and her need to pee was intense.

The inside was brightly lit, but quiet enough Maki could hear her small puffs of air as she used the free restroom, careful to cover the seat in an excess amount of toilet paper. She hardly ever went in public bathrooms - her parents always told her the dangers of using them and she didn't want to catch anything life-threatening.

She blinked away the bright lights when she finished and looked around, quickly gathering things into her arms. A tomato juice can, some tuna rice balls and other colorful things that caught her eye and paid no attention to. There was an option to get heated food, but her stomach decided against it - she'd rather not have to steal their new bathroom the moment she got there.

It took a good ten minutes for the cashier to emerge from the back, looking bored and irritated with her as he walked up to the register. Not even bothering to speak, Maki quickly handed him a few bills and tapped her fingers against her wallet as he took even longer to get her change.

"Just keep it," she nearly snapped, gathering her things and promptly leaving. She could hear the clink of coins as they were thrown into their respective slots.

Maki watched her driver standing at the pump, tapping his foot as it barely began to pump his gas. It seemed using credit cards in this area wasn't recommended.

However, she stopped upon seeing a shrunken, mini person sniveling against their knees at the corner of the store. Maki felt a twinge in her stomach, the grip on the door handle going slack and her feet propelling her towards the tiny sounds coming from the little girl she saw huddled into herself.

"Big… Big sis…" Maki heard in between sobs, and she couldn't help but crouch down to slowly approach her. It wasn't like her to even care, and yet, just seeing a child so lonely and lost somehow made her see herself in the same position. Crying out to her busy parents when they somehow left her by herself in the supermarket. Smiling, Maki reached out to lightly poke the girl's shoulder, flinching when she looked up; hope sparkling in her ruby eyes died once she realized Maki wasn't who she wanted.

"I'm sorry," the redheaded teen abruptly stated, seeing the tears once again brim her large, shiny orbs of sadness. Maki coughed into her palm and looked at the things in her arms, noticing candy she could offer as a peace treaty for scaring her. "Look, I'm… here," she uttered quickly, handing the little girl the treat.

She wasn't expecting the girl to throw up some weird hand symbol and shirk away in fear. "My big sis says to not take any candy from strangers, Nico!" she yelled, wide eyes staring Maki down like she was an alien.

Eyebrow twitching, Maki almost sighed, but knew the difference in age was great enough that the sudden change in behavior was passable. She opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped. "Big sis… I want my big sis," the little girl whispered, tears beginning to form.

At a loss, Maki pursed her lips and looked over at her driver - who was now back in the car and on his phone as the gas slowly pumped itself. "Where is she?" she asked, turning her head back to the little girl.

She shrugged. "She told me to wait here… and then she never came back…" The sniffles were what definitely got her - the little girl was practically telling her to find her sister; something Maki really, _really_ didn't want to do. She wanted to go home and sleep and wake up to see her new school.

"Where was she going?" Maki asked, adjusting the things in her arms into a more comfortable position. "Maybe she's still there."

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. She told me to wait and didn't say anything."

_How irresponsible._

Maki bit her lip in irritation. It was pretty much a goose chase with nothing to go off of. "Well, where do you live? I could walk you home," she offered, but was given another little shrug.

"We don't live here. We were visiting… and suddenly we're going home," the tiny girl said, reaching over to pull on Maki's sleeve. "Hey, could you help me find big sis?"

_I don't want to. I don't want to._

"Sure."

This lead her to dumping her things in the car, yelling something to her driver and then running off with a tiny lead taking her down some run-down street. Maki wondered how such a little girl could have sat there for possibly _hours_ \- without any sort of trouble with a creep.

"Okay, so where are we headed?" she asked the trembling walker in front of her, who was balancing herself on the painted line on the road. Aside from the asphalt, there was nothing but a few street lights and buildings with no lights on. It was quiet and isolated. Maki could feel chills running down her spine. How could a baby walk down it like it was her own backyard?

"I remember the station. She liked it there," the little girl answered quickly.

"So why didn't you go yourself?"

"I'm scared."

"Ahh… well, let's hope she's there," Maki said quietly. Any louder and it'd feel like she was shouting. She prayed whoever they were looking for was at the station, otherwise Maki would get an earful from her driver and parents that she disappeared.

The crunch of the dirt and rocks under her feet was somehow calming, and the breeze brought a slight scent of dust which Maki sniffled at. Rubbing her nose, she looked around at the empty buildings. It wasn't dark enough where she couldn't see, but the sun had began to set an hour or so ago, the sky turning into a mix of orange and purple.

She gazed through all the alleys and open windows and small cracks in doors to see someone at least resembling the little girl in front of her, yet nothing - nobody was around. A few hops and a skip coming from her leader made Maki watch in interest. It was almost in a musical pattern, and she repeated it in her head until she came up with a hum, smiling as it fit the lonely atmosphere.

If there was anything she wanted to do more than simply sleep, it was play a song. She had been working on one for a project at her old school, and even though she didn't need to do it anymore, Maki still wanted to complete it and possibly perform it.

Maki could feel the keys of the piano succumbing to the pressure of her fingertips, closing her eyes to the wonderful melodies her trusted instrument produced. She could hear the cheers of encouragement and whistles of enjoyment coming from the crowd below and above as she performed on stage at the Tokyo Opera City concert hall. She wanted to take a tour there; everything else she had seen was online, but it was captivating.

She hadn't even realized they stopped until her pelvis hit the back of the little girl's head, hand pointed towards the entrance of the station where someone, under the dim streetlight, placed their hands against their head in the same pose as Maki had seen her leader do earlier. Against the entrance were a few spectators, clapping along as she sang and did motions to the words coming from her mouth.

But all Maki saw was freedom. She wanted to leave the girl to go to her sister and run back to her car, but her body wanted to remain in place.

"Yazawa Nico-Nico, here to pierce your hearts once again!"

"Big sis! Big sis!" the little girl cried, her little legs taking her towards the singer as fast as they could move.

"C-Cocoa?!"

Cocoa. Maki scrunched her nose at the strange name, and yet could see the perfect fit as she gazed at the neatly tied up chocolate-y brown hair. She let a few fingers dive into her pocket and approached the two, sensing the crowd's eyes on her before they began to disperse. They seemed to realize the short show was over.

"Look! Look!" Cocoa shouted, pointing to Maki's approaching form. Her older sister was petite in body size, with jet black hair tied up in two pigtails with red ribbons. She wasn't wearing any sort of school uniform, instead a simple white jacket and a short skirt. "This girl brought me here, she helped me find you!"

"Ah…" came the sound from the other girl, who's ruby eyes locked with Maki's violet. It was quiet, with only distant cicadas singing creating some sort of balance. Maki twisted a lock of hair with her index finger when she found nothing to say, finally averting her eyes from the strong hold.

"You left her at the gas station. Try to be more responsible with your siblings," she lectured, trying to put it gently, but couldn't help her tone from being snarky. Maki saw the visible twitch and the furrowing of her eyebrows, somehow going back to her glowing eyes.

Cocoa clung to her sister's side, so she pointed at Maki with a slight flinch in her lower eyelid. "I'll have you know I was just getting done here!" she yelled, with a voice Maki could only dub obnoxious. "I don't need some stranger telling me what to do!"

"She was crying and wanting her _big sis_," Maki intercepted with sharp edge to her voice. She couldn't believe the nerve of this girl; who reacts like that when someone brings their younger sibling safe?

"Nico-Nico?" Cocoa frightenly muttered, tugging on her sister's jacket.

"Mm. The train'll be here soon, and then we can go home, okay?" the girl softly said, patting Cocoa on the head while making that same symbol with her free hand. Turning to Maki with a frown, she ushered Cocoa towards the doors and reached down to the ground to gather the bit of money in a paper cup. The sound alerted the redhead, and she froze.

Once again, red and violet orbs clashed. "Thanks though… I owe you," she said, the glass doors closing behind her and shielding any other words from reaching her ears.

Maki stood there for a good fifteen seconds before the sound of tires crushing rocks and smearing dirt caught her attention, her panicking driver hustling out of the car to drag her in, noticing her frozen state.

Even though he began to scold her and utter things she didn't care about, Maki thumbed the tomato juice in her lap. Turning her head, she gazed at the station drifting away from her much like her house did, something red on her mind.

_Yazawa Nico…? What a weird name. I don't get it._

* * *

_**A/N:**_

And chapter one is done~ Thanks a lot for the quick support. I'm actually very excited to write this - and I hope you're excited to read it too. :)

Oh, I'm going to need a name for the driver! He's going to play a very, _**very**_ important role in this and I don't want to just keep calling him "the driver". So any suggestions would be awesome!

I'll try to update as soon as I can.


	3. Business as Usual

_**A/N:**_

Thanks for all the reviews and follows/faves. I woke up and immediately started writing, haha..

Oh, and thanks for the name suggestions! I'm going to go with a mix of both: Takumi Koji will be the driver~

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

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_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Two: Business as Usual**_

* * *

When they had arrived, it was so late into the night Maki could only fall onto the couch and drift into darkness; her parents had set up a makeshift bed for her, but she had no energy left to even climb the stairs. Her driver, Koji-san, somehow had a house of his own and disappeared the moment she stepped into her house. But Maki was glad, she didn't want to hear him talk anymore.

From the plastic covered couch, Maki could tell the house was smaller than their old one, and tightly compressed. It was almost suffocating compared to what she was used to. The ceiling was shorter, the floors were thinner, and there was a single air conditioner hanging from the corner of the wall, a remote hanging from a string instead of vents placed on the floor.

She could see the kitchen through a doorway, granite counters and a large stove they would probably never use. The most use would be in decoration, otherwise she'd probably be buying all her food from the convenience store. Her mom was a great cook, but she hardly had time to utilize her abilities.

Everything was bare, although even when they moved everything in, it would look more or less the same. But Maki wasn't bothered by it. She was used to it.

Drifting back into sleep, Maki could vaguely hear the flurry of footsteps coming from upstairs, no doubt her father freaking out about her not being in her room she had yet to see.

_It's fine. I'm home after all._

That morning, she awoke to the sight of him at his knees, nearly pouring his eyes out and blubbering about missing her. She sat up and blinked away the fuzzy images, her eyes dry enough she looked like she was leering at him.

"Papa?" she tiredly whispered, letting out a little yawn. He nodded and hugged her, as if she had been gone for years before letting go, adjusting his tie. "You're not leaving for work already are you?"

She sounded childish, but she hadn't even seen her father, or actually spoke to him, for days now. Maki wanted to go on a tour of her school, to see the concert hall she'd be practicing at… _anything_, just to spend time with him.

He patted her head and shook his own. "I'm sorry, Maki. Mama will stay here with you while the movers bring our stuff today," he explained, lightly pecking the top of her head. "But I'll be home in time for dinner."

Maki nodded, watching him go and bid goodbye to her mom before disappearing out the plain white door. It had no glass, or any fancy handle - it was just white. This house was plainer, duller, than her old house.

"Good morning, Maki," her mom called from the door, turning to her with a little smile. Maki stood on her feet and couldn't help but yawn again. "Did the car ride tire you out _that _much?" she giggled, watching as her daughter blushed and crossed her arms.

"G-good morning, Mama," Maki answered. "No, but…"

A blurry image of Nico flashed through her mind, and she rapidly shook her head. Why was she remembering her now? It wasn't as if she'd be ever seeing her again.

Her mom tilted her head at the sight of her scrunched up face, and reached out to tug on the ends of her tangled locks. "Go wash your face, and then we'll go out sightseeing, okay? I know you wanted to go see some things, right?" she asked, smiling when Maki beamed before running down the corridor to the base of the stairs.

"The movers will be at the house in a few hours, so we can do a few things before then," Maki's mom said as she glanced at her watch, the car cruising smoothly down the road. The neighborhood was quiet - Maki figured it was because most of them were at work, given the time of the morning. She looked around at all the telephone poles and street lights and gaped at the tall skyscrapers she saw literally down the road.

Maki adjusted her seat belt so lean closer to the window, watching as buildings and people were quickly passed by, the glowing windows reflecting the morning sunshine, keeping the office workers hidden from view.

"The closest place to here would be Tokyo Opera City concert hall," Koji-san explained, pointing to some exit. Maki leaned her cheek on her palm; it wasn't like she knew the city, or like she had to walk places, so having to remember the streets and signs was useless. "So I can take you there first?"

"Please do, thank you," her mother answered, going back to her phone to reply to some email. Even when they were on a small tour of the city, her mom still had time to do work-related things. She hated it.

They were in a tunnel for a few seconds before emerging on the other side, blue taking over the left side of Maki's face. Her eyes grew wide and violet orbs began to glow in excitement at the sight of the ocean, taking a buttery yellow hue from the rising sun.

"M-Mama…! It's the ocean.." she murmured, shrinking in her seat when Koji-san gave her a knowing smile. She had never really seen it before, considering she always lived in urban neighborhoods that were more around a bustling city than the country.

She gaped a little more, but was suddenly cut off from the sight when they entered another tunnel, taking her enjoyment in the car ride away. Maki leaned into her seat and looked around, finding her mass of snacks still on the seat. She had forgotten them, and even forgot to toss the tomato juice can. The red material reminded her of a certain pair of eyes. She wondered for a second if Yazawa Nico was in this city.

Shaking her head, Maki pouted. Why was she thinking about her? Yazawa Nico was a weird, irresponsible, and rude person. She'd rather not come into contact with people like her.

They stopped after a while, at a tall shiny building. Maki nearly ran out of the car and took her phone out to snap a photo, smiling in excitement. Her application was readily accepted the day after she submitted it online, and she was ready to run in and begin her lessons. It was a program that would teach a group how to play an instrument, eventually leading into a grand orchestra for a charity. But Maki only cared about being able to play. Of course, she also had to go to school, but the final performance was all she could think about.

"Wow," her mom gaped, although she smiled once she heard the multitude of snaps coming from Maki's phone. "Let's go in, you can probably watch them play inside?"

Maki blushed and nodded, following her mother timidly into the building. She could hear the echoes of singing and a sharp tone of a violin the moment she walked in, and there were a few groups walking around, taking pictures and looking at the very high ceiling.

They could see the upper floors where children and parents looked down for a break, while many teens around Maki's age carried large instruments. It was completely different from the smaller, more compact arts center Maki was used to. While her house shrunk in size, her dream grew almost ten times as big.

"Oh, I remember you," a woman in a black business suit stated, carrying a clipboard. Her hair was jet black, and she looked almost identical to the girl Maki's thoughts kept drifting to; Yazawa Nico. She bit her lip to cease the short memory she had of the girl, but it continued in the back of her head.

"Yes, my daughter is going to be joining the juniors orchestra here soon," her mother said with a light bow. "This is Nishikino Maki, and I'm her mother."

"Nice to meet you two, I'm -"

A light buzz caught their attention before the woman brought her finger to the bluetooth headset in her ear, smiling as she listened. "Sorry, I'm going to have to excuse myself…"

"Yes, honey… no, the lower cabinet… there we go, good girl," the woman said, briskly walking away.

Maki kept her eyes on the woman's hair, but was brought out of her stupor the moment her mom's phone rang as well. She bit her lip - hoping it wasn't her work trying to call her in like her father.

Maki kicked at the seat in front of her as her mother and Koji-san discussed taking Maki home, before she walked away, going back to her phone conversation in a hurry. Koji-san came back into the car and took a look at Maki through the mirror, a frown marring both their features.

"We can go somewhere else if you'd like, there's lots to see here in Tokyo?" he suggested, although her silence was enough to answer him. He should have been used to her moods ever since he began working as her driver, but it always bothered him when Maki was upset.

They drove in silence, but not even the radio turning on could persuade her to think of anything less bitter about her parents.

* * *

Maki blinked when she realized they were in front of an academy - Otonokizaka academy, that was, and not her house. The new year had started a few months ago, so she was a little late to the party, but she didn't care about social groups or any clubs. She just wanted to go to school and get it over with so she could focus on her piano.

Girls in uniforms walked about, different colored ribbons indicating which year they were in. Maki received a blue one to indicate she was a first year. She remembered trying on the uniform at least ten times to make sure if looked okay, until her mother had called her out of her room for dinner.

"Tomorrow is your first day, right?" Koji-san asked as they circled the academy. There were dorms for girls who wanted to sleep at the school, and other buildings for various activities; not that Maki was interested.

"Yeah," she said, in awe at the sight before her. The school was old, she could tell, but that didn't make it any less magnificent in size. It was huge. Her heart beat fast at the thought of getting lost.

Koji-san smiled. "We can't enter since it's the weekend, but I'm sure you will have lots of fun here." He couldn't help but have a little teasing tone with a smile, and laughed when she blushed at the thought. "Well, we must get going now… the movers should be there soon…"

When the drove up to the house again, Maki's heart stopped at the sight of the moving truck and horde of men surrounding something on the road. Koji-san stopped, allowing Maki to escape the vehicle in time to see her beloved piano, shattered to pieces and laying like a dead butterfly on the road.

Tears pooled in her eyes and she couldn't even say a word as the men hurried over to her, bowing over and over as she watched them take the dismantled parts and carelessly toss them into bags. Keys were scattered around, wood splintered the road and the gate in front of the house, and Maki's tears dripped onto her shoes.

Koji-san came up behind her with her phone in his hand, handing it to the heiress as she watched in horror, trying to blink away the tears and the awful illusion presented to her. "Please call your parents," he said quietly, stepping away when she snatched the phone out of his hand.

"They won't answer anyway," she said before stepping over the wooden mess and heading inside. The movers were everywhere - she didn't have a place to even breathe before being pushed out of the way as they brought in the rest of the furniture, boxes of trinkets and clothing.

Maki sighed and turned around, going back to Koji-san's car. He jumped at her sudden appearance again and she frowned at him, violet eyes blank. They looked nothing like the glowing, innocent orbs he had seen earlier, and it bothered him.

"Just take me anywhere, Koji-san," she said quietly, pushing a button that lifted a black window that prevented him from seeing her tear-stained face.

Frowning, Koji-san gripped the wheel tighter and pushed on the accelerator, hoping to get rid of the awful look on the girl's face.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Chapter two~

Before anyone asks, Koji-san is around Maki's parents age, whatever number that may be. So he's definitely not in love with her haha. Next chapter we start school! It should be up later today, if I don't make it too long anyway...


	4. Akiba

_**A/N:**_

I would have updated sooner, but I got distracted by a horror game… and then I needed something pure and innocent to heal me.

And I said we'll be at school, but I lied. That's next chapter.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Three: Akiba  
**_

* * *

Maki released the wall between herself and Koji-san when they pulled to a stop in some parking garage underneath a building. The darkness from the tinted windows and shadows in the lot scared her enough that she needed to see somebody; just to make sure she wasn't in a nightmare.

"Koji-san?" she questioned as he opened the door for her, gently tugging her hand. She fixed her sweater and tapped her shoes against the pavement, looking around at the bleak and dirty pillars holding up the space for the little cars parked around the area. "Where are we?"

While she was with Koji-san, who would always keep her safe like he was her brother, Maki couldn't help but entwine her fingers in nervousness, looking away when all he did was smile and lead the way to some elevator in the corner. She couldn't tell if he was trying to do something bad or simply because he just knew the area (he did live in Tokyo after all).

"It'll be fine," he simply said with a gentle tone, patting her on the head and ignoring the red hue on her cheeks. Maki could only stare at the pinup for some action cartoon in the tiny elevator and tap her heel against the thin floor.

When it opened, revealing a bustling street, Maki immediately grasped the air until she felt Koji-san's gloved hand, bringing it to her side and closing the gap between their bodies. She wasn't used to seeing such a rush of people, since she had hardly ever ventured much outside her home or the arts center in her old city.

"This is Akihabara," he said, pointing to the multitude of skyscrapers displaying very huge, very long advertisements for the latest anime. Maki felt disgusted at the sight of them - cheap ads for cheap viewers. She knew about Akihabara from the internet, although she never expressed any interest in the place because it wasn't of any use to her.

Turning her head, Maki closed her eyes and placed her free hand on her hip, moving her legs when she felt a tug. A few men and women, all dressed for business, headed into the elevator at the same time. Maki could compare them to robots by their movements and bland expressions.

Koji-san shrugged. "I suppose it's not something you're very interested in," he began, "But I assumed it would be a breath of fresh air."

Maki smiled and tilted her head at him, although the crushed sight of her most prized possession still lingered in her mind. "W-well I guess it's not too bad… it's something new too," she said once his eyes gleamed in expectation. He wasn't always so forward, even though his personality was a bit annoying; Maki loved him just as she did her parents.

He guided her to the sidewalk, making sure the wave of people didn't harm her in the process. It was one of those busy days where families, friends and fans of anime simply came out to enjoy the day. While Maki's wasn't the best, he could at least make it better for her. "There are cafes and karaoke bars and shops we can visit; just let me know when you see something you like," he smiled, patting her shoulder. Maki murmured something under her breath and awkwardly looked around the little street they stood on.

"H-how about there…?" she asked, pointing towards a clothing store playing some loud pop music. Koji-san smiled and pushed her lower back, urging her to move forward.

No cars or trucks, or even taxis drove around, and Maki soon found out why when they crossed the street without even looking; people crossed to and fro, running from place to place in a hurry. Women carried bags and boys carried satchels, engrossed in the latest phone in their hands. Maki fingered her own in her pocket, the recent flip phone her closest friend so far.

Influenced by the other passersby, Maki lifted her phone to snap a photo of a building, of the people, and a group of children playing a video game together in a huddle. The song got louder and louder until she and Koji-san were standing at the entrance. Glass windows displayed white furry jackets, boots, and outfits that made Maki's eyes glow.

"Go inside," he encouraged, both hands behind his back. He had taken off his driver's cap and looked more like a father going shopping with his daughter, although the uniform nearly gave him away.

Maki gulped. This wouldn't be the first time she went shopping herself, but this store was more trendy, much more… metropolitan, than she would have liked. It was almost futuristic.

Walking in with her lip in between her teeth, Maki's eyes found a display with a checkerboard-denim skirt, her feet instantly taking her towards it. Her fingers touched the material, finding it a little less in quality than she usually preferred, but soft enough to be comfortable if she wore it. She was afraid it'd tear if she kept it for too long, however, but smiled when she could see herself in it.

"Hello, would you like to try that on today?" an employee suddenly asked, popping out from behind the display mannequin. Maki jumped and shook her head.

"N-no! I was just looking," she quickly shouted, moving her hands to and fro. The woman's smile faltered, but she bowed anyway and went on her way to the front counter, tending to another customer. Maki let out a breath of relief, but blushed when she caught Koji-san's raised eyebrow and teasing smirk. "I didn't want to try it on," she emphasized, turning her head and moving on to the next clothing item.

Suddenly, everything seemed bland in comparison to the skirt she had seen, and she could tell she became fixated on looking at it, considering they would wander for a bit before stopping in the middle of the store.

Koji-san laughed and went to retrieve it, although the sputtering and weak protests coming from Maki didn't stop him. He handed it to her, hoping it would be just the right size. Maki blushed when it touched her arms, and she slowly closed the gap between herself and the clothing item, keeping it close to her chest with an embarrassed scarlet smudge going across the bridge of her nose.

"Let's get that, then," he said, turning her to walk towards the front counter. Maki nodded and felt complete when it was purchased, a happy aura surrounding her body when they stepped out. Koji-san held out his hand and she hesitated for a second before taking it, following him down the sidewalk.

They passed the train station, and Maki's eyes searched everywhere for those few seconds, as if she had hoped to see someone within the large crowds piling into the train. Maki almost shuddered at the thought, feeling content with having her own driver to avoid the suffocation of trains. She vaguely remembered watching a video of how packed it could get, and didn't want to suffer through that in her life.

"Oh," she uttered, stopping just short of the entrance to some cafe, seeing a group of girls with microphones in their hands. Koji-san stopped when he felt resistance, and turned to see what was wrong when he was met with something incredible.

Maki, the girl who preferred playing by herself, who didn't care for social interactions or having any friends, was suddenly smiling widely and blushing as she watched the group of girls dancing and singing along to a cover of a popular song. He almost gasped, but didn't want to break her immersion, simply watching as she lip synched along to their performance.

When it ended, the crowd in front of the cafe disappeared, and Maki's smile dropped into a frown, turning to him with her usual deadpan eyes. Koji-san almost laughed at the sudden change in attitude, but didn't question when Maki continued walking on her own, stopping just short of leaving him behind.

They passed an arcade, some game shops, a bookstore and finally, a new maid cafe when he offered to buy her lunch for the day. Maki was quick to accept, but when she was greeted loudly by a girl in a maid outfit, she could only make a single sound come out of her mouth.

"Uhh…" Maki loudly responded to the warm greeting, face going warm when the girl's bright red eyes bore into her own. She collected herself and shook her head, ignoring the fluttering in her stomach at the sight of none other than _Yazawa Nico_.

Nico. The weird, petite little singer who abandoned her siblings at gas stations. Why was her name always in her head? Why had she remembered such a person when she met thousands of faces and names each day?

"Welcome, welcome!" she happily said after a brief hesitation, taking Maki's hand and gently dragging her to the nearest table. Koji-san followed, although he definitely took notice of Maki's sudden behavior. Her face was red, her mouth was opening and closing like a fish, and she looked like she wanted to bust her way the nearest exit.

"Take a look at the menu and I'll be back to take your order, Nico-Nico!" she said with that weird hand symbol, dancing away to another table. Wide, amethyst colored eyes traced her every move, and Maki could feel her heart wanting to dance along with the girl going around to each table, interacting with every customer like they were best friends.

But why? Why was Nico so special? Because she was weird?

Maki shook her head. She didn't care, not a bit. Nico was just someone she met who was so eccentric it just tipped her off, is all. Yazawa Nico didn't matter.

"What can I get for you two?" Nico asked in her high pitched, totally different voice. This wasn't the voice Maki heard the other night. It was fake. Forced, even. It was _weird_.

"I'll get the strawberry shortcake," Koji-san ordered first, closing his menu. Although it was better to eat actual food than simple dessert, he could save some room for dinner.

Maki nodded, "Y-yeah… I'll have that." She handed her menu back to Nico, who swiftly took it, but not without slowly brushing her fingers against her wrist. An awkward yelp escaped Maki's throat, and she hid her face by turning her head to the wall. Pop music and news played from the single television hanging on the wall across the room - and Maki cursed when she realized she was suddenly looking at Nico again.

"She a friend of yours?" Koji-san asked, taking a sip of his complimentary water. Maki shook her head, enough that her red hair brushed her cheeks and tickled her nose. "Huh. You seem to know her…"

"I-I wonder…" Maki chuckled, hoping her water would somehow extinguish the fire on her cheeks.

After a few minutes of silence, Maki playing with her phone and Koji-san smiling at her embarrassment, Nico arrived with two plates. "All right, two of our best strawberry shortcakes! We hope you enjoy them," she said happily, keeping her eyes closed as she set them down. Maki examined her face, how pale her skin was, and how utterly tiny she was. She wasn't like a gnome, but everything about her was small. Small hands, dainty fingertips...

She couldn't even focus on how _kinda-sorta-not-really_ amazing the shortcake was because the presence of Nico kept distracting her. In the end she dragged Koji-san out of the quaint maid cafe to relieve herself of her nervousness, but couldn't help gazing through the tiny windows in hope to see the cheerful Yazawa Nico just one more time.

Standing in front of the mirror, Maki nodded, slapping her cheeks when she finally got rid of the pink hue that seemed to get darker the longer she thought about the girl in the maid outfit. She hadn't expected to see Nico so soon - and in such a strange way too.

Koji-san was waiting outside the restroom, checking his emails when she came out. He pushed the device back into his pocket when he saw her, and rubbed the back of his head. "I would allow you to explore Akiba a little more, but your mother emailed me and said she wants you home; I'm guessing she'd like to discuss about your piano."

Maki felt something swell in her chest, but it wasn't of happiness.

_Why couldn't Mama call me? Is she really that busy?_

She lightly stomped her feet as they retraced their steps, Koji-san looking dejected at the day that was cut short. But even through her slight anger, Maki glanced behind her, hoping to see a glimpse at Nico - but the maid cafe had been long gone when they got to the parking garage.

Resting her forehead against the cold glass window, Maki stared at her reflection. There had to be a reason Maki was so interested in Nico. She had seen her twice, but Nico invaded her thoughts. She reasoned, again, that she was only interested because Nico was weird. She sang at train stations in the middle of nowhere, and worked in a maid cafe in Akihabara. But she was also rude, obnoxious, and totally fake when she interacted with people.

Maki wanted to know more.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Okay, chapter three done. Next chapter is when Maki goes to school, finally. I've decided two updates a day is good enough, but if I do get enough inspiration, there might/will be another update later tonight. When I love writing something, I'll spend all my time on it.

I also love how you guys love it too. :)


	5. Third Year

A/N:

School festa~

_**Kumiko-chii**_: Maki will meet the other members, just not at the same time. And no NicoMaki isn't the only pair. x3 There will be main ships like KotoUmi and NozoEli. Honoka, Rin and Hanayo, however, will be dating boys. I don't know if that makes or breaks a story for some of you, but… yeah, I like shipping them with guys. :x

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Four: "Third" Year**_

* * *

Maki checked herself in the mirror for the sixth time, making sure her hair was done correctly, her light makeup was in check and her uniform was still perfectly wrinkle-free. She sighed, looking at her door and wishing one of her parents would come in to ask anything a parent asked about school. Whether she was nervous, or excited, or even if she was ready.

But no, all they did was mention something about replacing her piano over a short dinner, and going to bed. While she was extremely happy at the mention of getting a new instrument to release her anger, she couldn't help feeling disappointed they brushed off her first day at Otonokizaka like it meant nothing.

Looking at her issued schoolbag, Maki nodded in self-confidence and strutted out the door, shutting it gently and heading downstairs to meet with Koji-san. They had two cars: Koji-san's and her father's. Since her father was never home to really drive anywhere with her, Koji-san was the only option.

But lately she found she preferred it.

"Look at you," he commented proudly as she stepped towards the car, keeping her hair from being messed by the light breeze. Koji-san clapped his hands and Maki had to hide her face with her bag at his actions which seemed to get the attention of the neighbor across the street tending to her garden. She smiled and waved, which Maki replied to by slightly moving her fingers. "Alright, let's head to your school so you aren't late."

Maki hadn't gotten used to driving around Tokyo yet, so at the sight of the various shaped buildings, she smiled and gripped her knees. She wanted to see it all. However, they turned a corner that blocked her view, eventually leading into the quieter area Otonokizaka was located. Maki knew it wasn't going to be as prestigious as her old school, since it was older and smaller, but she couldn't help feeling butterflies in her belly when Koji-san stopped, opening up her door.

Some girls stood by to watch, and Maki didn't know what expression to wear when she got out. Should she act cool? Or glare at them? Should she even acknowledge their presence?

Many questions ran through her mind by the time Koji-san dragged her out by the hand, eliciting a yelp. "Now now, no need to be nervous!" he teased, patting the top of her head. Maki glared at him and turned away, biting her lower lip. Maybe she was nervous - he didn't need to point it out!

Before he left he handed her a neatly wrapped box, to which she tilted her head and was briefly told it would energize her. "But only eat during lunch," he winked, heading back into the car before the black sedan rolled off, leaving her watching the back of it at the entrance.

Since it wasn't the actual beginning of the year, she didn't have to endure a long-winded, drawn out and overall boring entrance ceremony. Maki was glad for that, but she would have preferred getting a day to at least see where her class was. Luckily she was a first-year so her classes were on the first floor.

Looking around the entrance, Maki saw nothing special. It was an ordinary, old-style school. Nothing like UTX, which was almost technologically advanced in every way; Maki wished Otonokizaka would have been the same, but she guessed there was a charm to it nobody could turn away.

"1-B, 1-B…" she murmured to herself, watching each door sign pass by with no sight of her classroom anywhere near her. Then, at the very corner of the hall, she saw it. Hidden behind a tall filing cabinet, but she found it. Rolling her eyes at the inconvenience, Maki made her way to the door.

Sliding it open, she realized she wasn't even close to being late; in fact, she was actually early. No wonder the halls had seemed so empty. She was forty minutes early. Maki sighed and shrugged; better than being late and the center of attention. She deposited her bag to a desk with _Nishikino_ written on the chair, quickly taking off the embarrassing tape. Looking around the class, she could have sworn she was transported into a school nearly 50 years ago. Wooden desks, wooden floors, and a blackboard instead of a whiteboard. She cringed. It was old and smelled like pine.

The windows were large, and stretched from one wall to the other to her left, although all she could see was an empty courtyard, shielded by a large tree. She saw a few students roaming about, as if they had all the time in the world. Maki wanted to do the same but knew she'd get lost; and then she'd have to ask for help.

And that was the last thing she wanted.

But even so, the feeling was so great she abandoned her utterly boring classroom to simply look outside. That wouldn't have caused any harm, right? She leaned against the wooden wall, her eyes scanning the greenery outside. It was wonderfully fresh, and bright looking. Almost like a little forest.

Students were pouring in from the gates and other little openings across campus, and Maki frowned. The peaceful scenery was being muddled with other girls and their annoying discussions. It was almost as insulting as interrupting her during one of her performances; it irked her, although she would never say anything about it.

Turning around to enter her class again, she caught sight of a duo walking down the hall, and coming straight at her. Fight or flight mode suddenly switched on, Maki ran inside and toppled into her desk, heart pounding and lungs working to regain her lost breaths.

"But Kayooochin!" a loud voice whined as the door opened. Maki bit her lip and shrunk into her seat. Two heads, one orange and one green, poked inside, both heads turned to one another. "You said you'd get him something for White Day and you didn't!"

The girl with green hair giggled. "How do I top a huge bowl of rice, Rin-chan?" she sweetly asked, although the attention of her friend seemed to have moved to the frozen redhead sitting in her seat. "Oh…"

Her friend, who's smile seemed to have grown ten times wider, jumped at Maki, the redhead giving a loud scream at the sight, until she realized she was simply being crushed in a rather awkward hug. "Ohh who are you? I haven't seen you before, are you new?!"

"R-Rin-chan…" the green-haired girl protested quietly, reaching a hand out just an inch as a means to get her friend off the currently struggling Maki. "I don't think she likes that -"

"G-get off!" Maki yelled over a flurry of overly excited questions. The other girl, Rin, seemed to get the message and jumped off in a second, holding her arms away. Maki blinked away the illusion of a certain little girl making that exact pose with her eccentric hand symbol.

Shaking her head, she sighed and straightened out her hair, before crossing her arms with a hardened stare. She couldn't exactly glare, since she didn't want to give them the wrong impression of her, but she really didn't want to interact with them either. Especially since that Rin decided to pounce on her.

When said girl laughed and began talking, Maki tried her best to tune her out. The bell wasn't going to ring for another ten minutes, so she occupied herself with getting her notebook and pencils out instead of paying them any mind.

"Kayochin I thinks she hates me," Rin whispered rather loudly. Maki felt her eyebrow twitch, but shook it off. It was her first day, she didn't need to get into any fights.

The classroom was quiet until the bell did ring, and when the other students began pouring in, Maki realized they were all giving her a strange stare. Biting her lip, she simply ignored them, staying still in her seat until the last warning bell rang, and their teacher promptly walked in.

Maki didn't care much for math, but she was definitely going to try and make it interesting for herself. If tapping her pencil was against the rules, nobody seemed to care much when a steady little beat came from her desk, although it was muffled by the thick pages of her notes.

She could see Rin from the corner of the room giving her smiles, and blushing, Maki averted her eyes and shrunk into herself, trying to avoid her gaze. The lesson was boring, and the teacher rambled on and on until finally noticing her presence, making her flinch in annoyance.

"Oh, my! I'm so sorry I forgot to introduce you!" she yelled, allowing Maki to stand. "Everyone, this is Nishikino Maki; she just transferred here. Please, introduce yourself."

She gazed upon the many eyes staring at her expectantly, and gulped, giving the hem of her skirt a tight squeeze. "Um.. I'm… Nishikino Maki… I like playing piano… um, it's n-nice to meet you…"

Blushing, she fell back into her seat and ignored the many little whispers coming from the rest of her class. She desperately wished to run away.

It wasn't until the end of the fourth class that she got a break for lunch, and Maki hurried out of the classroom to avoid anyone trying to talk to her. She'd seen enough of that in TV shows to know it happened often. The many questions and sudden huddles around her desk. She wanted none of it.

Stopping when she saw a bench pressing against the tree in the courtyard, Maki hurriedly went to sit and open up her lunchbox Koji-san had prepared for her. Or was it his wife? She didn't really remember, since she hadn't paid attention when he mentioned something about who was the better cook.

But it was good. Maki couldn't help smiling in bliss and holding a hand to her cheek as she took a bite of rolled egg, shuddering when she swallowed and going in for another. Since she was usually given money to buy lunch at the UTX cafeteria, Maki couldn't remember the last time she had a homemade lunch. It nearly brought tears to her eyes, especially when she saw the little bundle of grape tomatoes sitting contently in the corner of the box.

So even Koji-san's family remembered her affection for tomatoes.

"Hmph. I always seem to run into you _everywhere_," a horridly recognizable voice sarcastically said off to the distance, a little silhouette in Maki's line of sight.

Yazawa Nico. Maki wanted to scoff and retort, but bit her tongue and allowed the shorter girl to make her way to the bench, sitting in the corner with a generous amount of space in between them. Maki bit into one of her tomatoes, almost moaning at how sweet it was, but blushed and kept a hand against her lips. She absolutely did not want Nico to hear that.

"So you go here," Maki said after a brief silence. Nico hummed, opening up her box to something colorful. The scent drifted to Maki's side of the bench, where she felt offended at how amazing it was. Even her lunch boxes were perfect…

"Yeah, and it seems like you do too. I felt something was off when you were in Akiba yesterday," Nico said with a haughty sight. Red eyes glanced over to where Maki sat, a bit of a blush appearing on her face. "Who knew someone who looked so _innocent _was dating an old man."

Sputtering and face going crimson - no, it was _green_ at the thought, Maki nearly tossed her food at Nico's smirking face and stood, holding it gently in her arms. "N-No way?! I would never… I don't…!?"

Nico laughed, and Maki sat back down with an angry pout, shoving the food in her mouth to avoid talking to her any longer.

They ate in silence again, and Maki couldn't help but continue to stare at Nico as she ate. She was nothing like the girls Maki used to know. She wasn't cordial, or polite, or even spoke in a polite tone.

Gulping, Maki took this opportunity to ask a question. It wasn't like she really cared, because she didn't; but any chance to even converse with Nico was something she was willing to grasp. Even if it meant asking something she wouldn't have usually thought twice about.

"So how is Cocoa? Has she forgiven you for ditching her?"

Now it was Nico's turn to stand with an offensive glare. "I did not _ditch_ her! There was no way she could have seen me…" she trailed off, arms going slack and falling back into her seat. "A-anyway, just keep it to _yourself_! I don't need anybody else knowing about it, okay?! And the Akiba thing too!"

"Why?" Maki asked, seeing nothing to hide. "If people here go to that cafe they'll see you anyway." It wasn't like Nico was somehow safe from familiar faces in Akihabara considering how close it was to Tokyo, and she didn't hesitate to bluntly state it, although seeing Nico almost flinch at her tone made her want to take it back. But when Nico simply looked up with a mean stare, she couldn't help but glare back.

"Just. Don't. Tell. Anybody!" Nico yelled, leaning closer to her. Maki gulped as a surge of fear instilled into her and averted her eyes from the flaming red ones in front of her. But as her eyes drifted to and fro, she noticed the green ribbon tied around Nico's neck.

"You're a third year?" she asked in exasperation, pointing at the offending article of clothing. Nico nodded, but was met with a little scoff which made her frown. "Who did you steal that from? There's no way."

"What?! Who do you think you are, you -"

"Look at you," Maki said, pointing to the petite frame of the scarlet-faced Nico. "_"Third"_ year. Right."

Nico huffed at the same time Maki looked away, an odd tension surrounding them. This wasn't really the first way her conversation with Nico went in her head, but Nico didn't seem like the type of girl to simply talk about the weather without immediately sounding obnoxious.

"So you like being a maid?" she asked. At the same time, Maki wasn't the type of girl to initiate conversations, since she hated talking to other people outside of her old orchestra. And Koji-san, of course.

"Yeah, what of it?" Nico asked back, sounding annoyed at her constant prying. This was absolutely nothing like the cheery, bubbly Nico she had seen in the cafe. It was like she had seen her polar opposite twin; it fascinated her with the personality switch Nico managed to switch on when she felt like it.

Before she could even retort to the annoyingly defensive question, the bell chimed, and Maki shuddered in nervousness when she realized she wasn't even halfway finished with her meal. Tying up the strings she gathered her things and ran towards the door.

All the while oblivious to the intense red stare glued to her back.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Another update, my lovely readers. Rin and Hanayo made a little appearance, but they won't take prominent roles for a while; and by that I mean like between 1-3 chapters. lol

There probably will be just ONE more chapter tonight. I'm on a roll and Love Live has long since dragged me to hell.


	6. Cleaning Duty

_**A/N:**_

Thanks guys! You've made me really happy - a lot happier than I've been in a while.

Ah, and thanks for the tips _**Truna**_!

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Five: Cleaning Duty**_

* * *

Maki breathed, shutting the door behind her as insistent footsteps passed by, the wooden floors of the old Otonokizaka academy coming in handy. Catching her breath, she turned around to the abandoned classroom and found the dusty particles dancing in the air, given life by the faint sunlight pouring in exotically pleasing.

"Maaaakiiii-chaaaan!" a loud voice boomed from across the hall, forcing the redhead to trip on air and fall to the ground underneath a tarp, squirming her way underneath it until she could no longer see the light. It lightly brushed against her leg and she tried to keep her breathing to a minimum, covering her lips with her hands to avoid making a loud sound.

One loud and annoying Yazawa Nico was on her tail. Why, you ask?

_It had been a few weeks since Nico and Maki's initial conversation. While they met for lunch each day, the distance between their seating arrangements shortened, until the only thing keeping their thighs from touching were their lunch box cloths and bags. Maki enjoyed it, although she found Nico's upbeat attitude a little annoying. She had tried time and time again to break their meetings, especially considering Nico was insistent she listen to her sing; it seemed Nico was more about self-advertisement than she was about forming an actual friendship. But, Maki wasn't interested enough to care to listen. _

_Yet she couldn't handle the thought of suddenly stopping her communication with Nico. It was like a forbidden action, something she couldn't will herself to do, and so she continued. And she could probably admit she liked it on days they simply had nothing to say or talk about. Sometimes she wished they could talk more outside of lunch break. _

_But, most of the time she hated the fact Yazawa Nico existed. Like today._

"_Hey," the twin-tailed third year said at the end of the day, standing outside Maki's classroom with her hands on her hips. Maki froze. Nico smiled. And they waited until everyone was gone to finally breathe. "So I never really thanked you for the other day. I mean, it's not like you did anything, but…"_

Right. I didn't even want to help your sister. I wasn't trying to be nice, _Maki bitterly thought. She glanced at the thin watch on her wrist and could only picture Koji-san biting into his hat when she didn't emerge from the building on time and hopping from one foot to the other in worry. _

"_But I wanna repay you. So," Nico breathed. But her continuation was rudely cut off by Maki making a run for it down the hall, slipping on the ground before turning a corner, hoping to get away. Nico, standing frozen for a few seconds, soon felt steam emerge from her ears before she took chase and threw her arms up in the air, screaming the redhead's name. _

"You can't… hide forever…" Nico exhaustedly heaved, opening the door to the room Maki was hiding in with a loud grunt. Her spot would definitely give her away, since a large tarp could _only_ shield someone who was trying to hide. Like Maki. She heard Nico let out a whistle as she breathed, a groan emerging from her thin kis. "Man that girl can run. What is up with her? Seriously…"

Light footsteps circled the table Maki was under, and she tried to scurry to one corner of the tarp until it lifted behind her, a pair of sneaky red eyes staring at her, while a smug smile spread across Nico's face. "Found you," she calmly stated, although the mischievous glint never left her eyes.

"Leave me alo-"

Before she could even stand to run away, Maki's head collided with whatever she was hiding under, a loud echo and orchestra of high pitched sounds coming from it. Rubbing her head, Maki cried in pain and crawled out, sitting on her thighs while looking up at the smirking Nico.

"Oh, what was that? I didn't hear you over the…" as the tarp fell over, completely smothering Maki in it, Nico took in the sight of a grand piano, dusty and lacking in shine, before it began smearing her face with an uncomfortable fuzz. "Piano.."

Maki emerged from under the thick material, her hair sticking up in various odd places until her eyes followed Nico's tranced ones. She gasped and stood, throwing everything aside to touch it, as if it would break any second. Fingers roamed slowly, thin lines appearing in the places her skin wiped the dust off. She still had yet to get her replacement piano, but the sight of the one in front of her had her in a daze.

Nico turned to her and huffed, unaware to the glittering violet orbs pointing in another direction. "So why did you run from me?! Are you insane?!"

Maki hummed and nodded her head. "Mhm…" She lifted the covering of the piano keys, another layer of dust flying into the air to interact with the other millions. The blackboard beside it, unused for years it seemed, still had a faded score embedded on it, as if it had been waiting for someone to find it. The classroom was most likely used as some sort of clubroom, and there were no signs anyone cared for it anymore.

"Hey…! Are you even listening?!"

Running her hands along the keys, Maki lightly pushed a few, hearing a horrid string of sounds from within the instrument. She cringed and Nico covered her ears with a wince, taking a step back. Maki looked inside and coughed at the dirt and grime powdering her face, eyes watering at the mere smell of it. The inside was hideous, with the strings covered in dust and cobwebs entangling a few, and a bit of mold growing in the corners. Who had left such a perfect thing sit for so long, and in such awful condition too?

"I'm going to clean it," she strongly said, alerting the girl beside her with her loud voice. If she could get it repaired, she could definitely come back and practice all she wanted - she didn't have to settle for a cheap, small piano to fit into their house. Smiling, she turned to Nico with a light bulb appearing above her head. "_You_ can repay me by helping me."

"Huuuh?!" Nico screeched, eyes twitching in confusion. "I thought you'd want something else?!"

Shaking her head, Maki's eyes glistened and glowed with a new motivation, and Nico's face went pale. Grabbing the shorter girl's hands, she leaned in closer. "I want to clean it," she said, nodding when Nico furrowed her eyebrows.

"Fine…" she murmured in annoyance, looking away. Maki didn't think when she brought her into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of the other girl surround her body, until they both parted with awkward stares at the floor. It had left her speechless at her action.

That week, Maki had Koji-san prepare a kit for a thorough cleanse. She brought scrub brushes, aprons, face masks, bandanas for their hair, gloves, various cleaning chemicals and a mop. Her parents had asked why she needed all the material, but all she said was she needed it for class cleaning duty; which they believed, since they seemed to not really be interested. They did finally ask how class was going - so that much Maki could give them credit for.

"Why do you have so much stuff," Nico whined as she carefully stepped around the various things Maki had laying around. She was busy wiping off the dust in the cracks of the piano, a spray bottle next to her; busy enough she barely heard a word Nico said. Her desire to clean the grand piano was too great.

Day one was dusting. Because the room was so full of dust, Nico had opened up the windows and the door, allowing the breeze to carry it out, a gust of leaves and particles swirling to a party outside the room. Nico breathed and put on her face mask as she approached the nearly grey piano, the shiny black paint hidden underneath many layers of dust.

"Nico-chan, be careful with the keys," Maki said in a distracted tone, still wiping in one area. Nico rolled her eyes, but obeyed, gently spraying the keys until they were all covered, before wiping them off individually. She hummed a tune, although it was slightly muffled underneath her face mask.

Maki smiled and tilted her head along with the little hums, somehow enjoying Nico's presence. She had run off initially to head straight home; but now that she had found something she found enjoyment in, Maki knew she could have an excuse to stay at school rather than going straight home. For that, she guessed she had to thank Nico for, although she would never say it aloud.

"So, are you aiming to be a pianist?" Nico asked absentmindedly, brushing the keys gently. The strokes gave off very ugly sounds, which she tried to cover with a conversation. Maki hummed as if it was a sufficient answer, and Nico glared at her hands. "Come on. We're _bonding_. See? We're cleaning this piano. You can trust me."

Rolling her eyes and adjusting her bandana, Maki shrugged. "I just like playing for people. I don't know what I want to do in the future," she answered honestly. She loved music, and she wanted people to enjoy her music; but at the same time, she didn't know if that was what she truly wanted. Being a doctor brought in benefits and a stable salary - but her dislike for speaking to others made that hard to imagine. How could she brush off annoying kids and ill patients needing their medicine without wanting to maul them?

Shaking her head, Maki clenched her rag tighter and glanced up to the black-haired student. The little paper cup in her hand still made Maki want to ask her, but she decided it was a topic she didn't really want to traverse in - just in case it lead her into complex situations. "What about you? Since school is ending soon, where are you planning on going?"

There was a brief silence as Nico continued brushing in between keys, eyebrows furrowing and cheekbones lowering to signal her frown. Maki stopped her actions altogether as she watched her senior begin to scrub furiously, the noises coming within the grand piano becoming louder until she suddenly stopped. Looking up with her eyes closed and cheeks lifting again, Nico raised her hand in that same odd pose.

"Well, an idol of course!"

_A what. _

"A what?" she blurted.

"An idol!" Nico shouted with her free hand going to her hip now. She threw her nose into the air, and flicked her neck to throw her hair over her shoulder - which did nothing since they were in pigtails. "An idol shines the brightest of all stars… they bring smiles to people faces and lift their spirits when they're down. I wanna be the idol that's able to make even a single person's day better…"

She had said that with such honesty, such confidence and with a gaze to her hands with a brilliant softness Maki only saw in her father when he talked about his work. Maki could never relate; she wasn't one to really bother with childish things like dreams.

But seeing Nico smiling so brightly, even under her face mask, Maki could feel something in her heart change. It wasn't a dramatic epiphany, but rather a feeling of needing to find something special in her life.

"Anyway," Nico's tone changed and daggers were pointed to her. "If you keep staring you'll never get this done."

Blushing, Maki scrubbed harder in a single spot for over ten minutes to hide her face from the girl staring down at her.

After a while, Nico began to grunt and breathe heavily, causing Maki to look around the piano to catch a glimpse of a snarl appearing on Nico's face. A jolt of confusion struck her, and she didn't know whether to ask what was wrong, or allow Nico to struggle alone with whatever she was having an issue cleaning. Clenching her rag tighter, Maki bit her lip and contemplated, listening to the constant whispers and slight almost-curses coming out of Nico's lips.

"Geh." Eventually Nico tossed the rag aside and wiped her brow, peeling off her face mask to breathe, "He's being a toughie! It'd be so much easier to clean if it wasn't in the way…"

Maki jumped and nearly bumped her head again, but poked her head around the corner again to watch what Nico was trying to do. "Are you okay over there? Need any help?" she asked, not necessarily knowing what she could exactly help in. This was the only time Maki actually had some sort of chore to actually do - and all she knew was that it needed to be wiped from the inside out..

"As if! I'm just… trying to make it extra clean!" Nico awkwardly shouted as her answer, waving an arm in the air to reassure Maki she was perfectly fine. Lips pursed in a thin line, Maki took the blatant lie and shook her head, allowing Nico to continue.

It eventually got to the point where Maki was fed up with the constant sounds and annoying little grits of teeth that she stood to see what Nico was wasting her time with. "Okay, let me see what's going on," she said loudly, lightly pushing Nico's shoulder to peer into the spot between two of the deeper keys. "Really?"

A speck of dust, rolled into a ball and caught between them, was currently being shoved from place to place by a toothpick (why did Nico carry those?), but was being uncooperative and constantly rolled back into place when Nico tried to prick it out.

"See? I almost got it! No need, no need," Nico waved her off quickly, going into concentration mode as she continued trying to roll it out.

"I think you'll end up hurting yourself…" Maki thought aloud as she watched Nico's back arch and twist as she guided the dust ball out, only to groan in frustration as it went back into its haven. Nico looked back at her, crimson eyes dimmed down in hopelessness.

Maki gulped and averted her eyes to Nico's slack hands, and reached over to dig it out herself, although Nico's head got in the way. She bit her tongue and leaned closer, trying not to press herself against Nico's back. It was tough, considering Nico made no sign to give her room, leaving her in the awkward predicament. Maki could feel a blush as she remembered the hug she gave her, and tried to shake it off by concentrating - but even the slightest movement made her face red. It was annoying.

She roughly poked the dust ball like it was takoyaki, hoping to pierce it and lift it out, but when it fell back in, she blew against her hair and tried rolling it out as Nico did earlier, but failed as well. Maki almost cursed aloud, but shook her head. She didn't like those words.

"Almost.." Nico whispered as she watched Maki try again, pressing a key to allow more room. Both of their eyes went wide when they saw it reach the corner of the keys, eventually tumbling down and falling into Nico's lap. Silence.

Silence as they stared at it. Silence as Nico raised it in the air with a victorious smirk and Maki with a sigh of relief.

"See? I _totally_ could have done it myself," Nico said, turning her head away in contempt as Maki stared at her with raised eyebrows. When her eyes reached Maki's slightly-_not-really_ dejected ones, Maki could have sworn she saw a sincere smile pierce her senior's face.

"But, thanks, I guess," she winked, reaching back under her chin to lift the face mask over her mouth. Maki gulped and tried to play it cool as she crouched back down into her original spot, but eventually could feel the burning of her cheeks and the wide smile appearing on her own face like some spreading disease.

She might have, but _not really_, enjoyed being with Nico outside of lunch break. And she was sort of glad Nico offered (more like _agreed_) to assist her in repairing the old piano. She couldn't wait to play it.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

So a little more NicoMaki bonding time~

Hope you enjoyed!


	7. Look Over Here

_**A/N:**_

I would seriously kill to have that Endless Parade Blu-ray… the videos on Youtube tease me!

I'm also sorry for the slight delay in update. I had a bad case of food poisoning (because I went to _Dairy_ Queen for free ice cream with a roommate… and I'm lactose intolerant. What was I thinking). I'm still recovering. T T

_**Truna**_: Thanks for the very helpful review! Note it's never annoying to give tips on what I'm doing wrong or inconsistently, unless you're giving me critical insults for no reason. Like, "Maki's hair isn't raspberry wtf unsub 0/10" I'll always be open to some help. :0

Disclaimer: INDOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Six: Look Over Here**_

* * *

"So you're starting the juniors' orchestra today," her father said as he chugged down his coffee, breakfast already shoved down his throat and his lab coat graciously hanging over his arm. Maki hummed and observed him, slowly inhaling her juice as he rushed around the kitchen. Their in-house chef bowed when he passed him, and Maki looked down at her western style breakfast to take another scoop of eggs into her mouth. Her father rushed back in, reaching out a hand to tug on the tips of her hair with a grand smile. "Good luck, honey."

Maki nodded, feeling the heavy distress from the past few weeks disappear with a single smile she received from her father. He chuckled and stole her toast before leaving, waving at her as he ran out, leaving her giggling to herself. Maki finished up the rest of the food rather quickly, checking her watch to make sure she wasn't late.

Every Saturday, starting from noon and finishing up at around five, she would endure a brutal lesson in piano, in a room with many other kids her age learning different instruments at the same time. It was almost like a boot camp for instruments - without the screaming. The rest of the week she was expected to practice, at the _very least_, three hours a day for the next six months, before they began preparing for their actual performances. Maki wasn't scared, but she was definitely nervous. With no piano at home and her continuing trials of cleaning the one in the abandoned classroom, she hadn't been able to practice in a while.

"_Oh come on," Nico would exaggerate loudly with a wave of her hand, a distinct look of disapproval on her face… as well as a little sprinkle of dust across her nose. It was _cute_. Maki had to look away to avoid staring too much. "You'll do fine, you're one of those princess types, they'll take whatever you give 'em."_

Maki felt even more nervous when she said that. Standing from her seat, she left her dishes there, knowing their chef would take them. She should have felt bad, but she honestly didn't care much - that _was_ his job, after all.

"Come in, come in!" the same woman from last time said the moment Maki walked into the Opera concert hall. Her business suit was grey this time, but Maki gaped at the familiar shade of red from someone she knew very well at school now - someone she couldn't run away from no matter where she went, it seemed.

"Nico-chan…?" she questioned to herself rather loudly, causing the woman to chuckle. "Ueh?"

"So it seems you know my daughter," the woman laughed, trying to conceal the sound with her palm. "She's a character, I'll give you that…." There was this soft little gaze she gave the wall for a few seconds, leaving Maki awkwardly standing there with a binder full of scores in her arms. "Ah!" the woman jolted back to reality and shook her head, tilting it when she faced Maki again. "Sorry about that! Let me lead the way!"

What was that about?

They walked down the beige colored halls, covered in bulletin boards announcing concerts, recitals, rehearsals, signup sheets and many ads for certain clubs. It was almost like its own music school, without the classrooms. They passed offices full of ringing telephones and meetings, before reaching a quad with seats, a flat screen, and the highest ceiling Maki could swear reach the stars.

Glowing a honey gold, there was a chandelier at the very top, allowing sparkles of white to dance down to the lobby area where Maki was told to quietly take a seat while her escort headed to an office for a bit. She observed the children walking with their parents, others alone as they carried their instruments to different rooms, elevators and even a door where a staircase was located. She wanted to see where everything was, to familiarize herself; but she reasoned she had a whole six months to do so, and chose not to.

The tapestries above her were definitely fascinating, and she tried to inspect each and every one in full detail before she heard the sound of heels hitting the floor.

"Alright, Maki-chan," the woman appeared again with a tall man, glasses perched upon his face and a business suit even straighter than her father's, both his arms behind his back like Koji-san would; but his posture was perfect. Like a mannequin. His black hair was receding, leaving only a short curtain of hair brushing against his perfectly stout shoulders.

She abruptly stood and gaped at him as he looked down at her shorter form. "This is the director of both the juniors' and main orchestras. He'll be the one guiding you and training you. You're going to follow him into the rehearsal rooms to get acquainted with the other students."

Maki nodded and gathered her things, waiting for the man to lead the way, but when none came, she looked up to see him still peering at her with squinted eyes, as if she had done something wrong. Not even the smooth jazz music could ease her out of her sudden nervousness.

"Let us go," he said quickly before turning to head towards one of the elevators. Maki followed, trotting alongside him and staying quiet. She didn't want to jeopardize anything on her first day.

He coughed into his palm to gain her attention as they stepped in. "I'm Hachiro Yuji. So you play the piano, as well as sing, Maki-san?"

She hummed with a nod, but then shook her head and gasped. "Yes," she answered stoically. He grunted and they continued to stare into the shiny metal doors of the elevator.

"Ah," a girl murmured the moment the doors opened, nearly bumping into Hachiro had he not stepped back a moment sooner. Maki took in her appearance; bright blonde hair tied into a bun, with her forehead covered in a sprinkle of sweat. There was a duffel bag pressed against her hip, with a pink outfit stuffed inside. "I apologize," she said with a slight bow, breathing ragged.

Maki mirrored the action and waited until Hachiro walked out to follow him. "Eli-san. Good work today," he said, not bothering to look at her. He nodded and motioned Maki to follow him.

She couldn't help turning her head to watch the girl enter the elevator with a slight bite of her lip, before tripping against her feet and deciding to focus on what was in front of her. The windows made up the right side of the wall, tilted in such a way they could see the streets and buildings below, but so nobody could see them. Maki's eyes went wide when she saw a tall structure out in the distance, glowing in red and orange lights.

"All right," Hachiro's deep voice interrupted her sight seeing, pressing his hand against a wide set of double doors. "This is the rehearsal room. We have a piano prepared for you in the corner of the room. Do not bother the other students as most are already practicing."

She nodded. And he opened them.

Inside was a brightly lit room, with multiple voices and sounds echoing throughout - sounds she couldn't even notice outside the room. There were small groups talking amongst each other, and others off by themselves, looking over songs and sheets they had to practice. The moment Hachiro cleared his throat, they all stopped and went into their respective seats, shivering from his tiny gaze.

"All right, as you all know we all got a new student here," he announced, moving his hand towards Maki. She held a steady gaze across the room; these kids were nothing like the bouncy students at Otonokizaka, or even the quiet and diligent ones at UTX. These kids were talented, and had dreams and were focused. Maki couldn't hold a candle to them, but she definitely could feel the harsh judgement fanning the room. "This is Nishikino Maki. She will arrange piano sheets and assist in composing our music."

She barely had experience composing, and she never told anyone. How did he know? Maki felt her eyebrow twitch just a bit. There was a slight murmur before they all nodded at their instructor, and he headed to the other side of the room.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Maki," she simply said; she didn't want some embarrassingly, childish introduction like she made in class. Maki had to prove she belonged here. That she was worthy.

Nobody would stop her from reaching her goal.

"Hey Maki-san," a girl said, striding over to her as she examined their recent sheet music. The rest of them were three weeks ahead of her, so she needed to catch up. Maki glanced for a brief second at her, and noticed her holding a flute. She hated flutes. They were dainty and weak and overall made little noise. Sighing, she set down her papers to turn to her.

"Yes?"

"I've been wondering if it would sound better to remove this note, and move it towards the end? If I play it in the beginning the rest of the song sounds rushed. But it fits near the end perfectly," she said, pointing to her music sheet. Maki's eyes widened. Fauré's _Fantasie_ stared her right in the face, and she could almost see the pointed looks and wide smirks she was getting from the rest of the class. They knew they were better than her, but Maki brushed it off. All she needed was practice. She could easily follow Fantasie if she practiced long enough.

She hummed along to the notes, feeling herself getting distracted, and clenched the corner of the bench tighter when she watched the girl giving her a concerned stare. "I think it works better as is," she said, vaguely hearing the song in her head. "Just try to concentrate on slowly building them up rather than on the individual notes, that's why it feels like it all comes to you at once."

The girl nodded and bowed to her, heading back to her seat quickly as Maki turned, flipping to the red tipped music sheets. Green meant easy, for beginners, Yellow meant intermediate, and Red meant hard. Maki was going to practice and memorize all the scores until her head turned blue.

The first thing she had to do was start out with basic exercises to remind her fingers how to cross the piano again. Her movements were slow, as if she was some confused beginner. Maki could see why she had to practice everyday - it frustrated her how her body couldn't cooperate with her mind.

"Okay everyone," a boy in the corner shouted, lifting his bow in the air. Everyone turned to him, and the rough jumble of keys made some chuckle, especially when Maki's face emerged from behind the piano. "Let's practice as a group now. We'll start off with _Ave Maria_ and see what we gotta work on."

Hachiro, standing in the corner, nodded to his idea with a sliver of a smile appearing on his face. He hadn't been much help to the students - rather, he simply let them practice on their own, only going towards some who needed his assistance in continuing.

They started with Maki, who would lead the flutes' section (who would be covering the vocals) into the song, before the violins would come in, all done within a matter of seconds. Her fingers shook and she felt her foot tapping against the floor, over and over until she forced it to stop with her palms against her knees.

"Okay, Maki-san. Begin," Hachiro said loudly, clapping his hands to a beat she could follow before beginning. She nodded and gulped, lowering her hands to the keys, jitters running along her spine.

_Ave Maria_ was easy. She could do a simple, continuous melody.

At first, she felt jittery and her movements were jerkish, robotically moving from key to key, before the freezing numbness in her joints receded, allowing her to move them more freely. The flutes came in at that point, slightly covering up her minor mistakes; her mind couldn't and wouldn't dare forget, however, and so right when the violas began their intros, she stopped.

Hands on top of the keys, Maki shook her head and smiled nervously. "Sorry... can we start over?"

The other students bowed their heads, as if she had offended them. Maki leaned over the keyboard with a wide expression of frustration. _She needed more practice_.

* * *

"You were wrong," Maki stated to the busy Nico as they hauled open the grand piano. After her embarrassing session, Hachiro literally demanded she practice harder to catch up with her peers.

Nico brushed off the cobwebs inside, careful not to ruin the strings. Grunting, her small form emerged from within, slinking towards Maki with a deadpan expression.

"Oh yeah? But you did act like a Princess - you didn't even try to make friends!"

_I didn't exactly aim to be yours either…_

Lie. 

Maki sighed and frowned at the now shiny (on the outside) piano. It glimmered back, as if teasing her that she still had a ways to go before she could attempt to play it. "Yeah well they weren't the brightest crayons in the box…" she retorted rather defensively, her fingertips going white at the heaviness of the lid. "Will you move a bit?" Maki grunted.

Nico scoffed and pulled her facemask off, poking out a sliver of her tongue, while Maki gave her a heated stare before lowering it, covering the inside of the piano. She didn't want to dive in there at all - it was hot and disgusting and smelled like feet. But she had to, if she wanted a chance to actually get her own grand piano.

"So you got intimidated by a few rich kids," Nico shrugged, bouncing over to the desk where they had their lunches set up. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the two had been at the cleaning again for a few hours, with a little radio set up to avoid any awkward silences. Day two had been spent cleaning the floor with the mop Maki brought, getting rid of all the dust from the last session, and day three was going to consist of cleaning the inside. Although Maki had other things on her mind, leaving her staring at spots and jumping when Nico called her.

"Hey," Nico said strongly, tapping the tip of her head with a juice box. "Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?"

Maki brushed her hand off and rolled her eyes, hiding it by blinking. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to hit people with…" Violet orbs gazed at the box, only to slowly come to a stop once she realized what Nico had brought.

"Only because I saw you eating a lot of grape tomatoes," Nico shrugged, sharing a look with the confused pianist before her. "I figured you liked them, so… well, just take it!" As her explanation began to drag she shoved it into Maki's hand, turning around with a huff. Although Maki could definitely see the bits of red at the tips of her ears. She smiled against the cold tomato juice box, trying to hide it behind the cardboard.

"Thanks," she quietly said.

"Yeah yeah." Nico had a habit of waving things off, Maki realized. She brushed off things that were probably important, like talking about her siblings; she never went into detail, although Maki already knew one. The other two were unknown and it seemed Nico was content with keeping it that way.

Then there were her parents...

Stopping Nico short of enjoying a brightly and perfectly cooked octopus-shaped weiner, Maki coughed into her palm and sniffled, trying to figure out a good way to bring it up. "There was this lady at the center," she said, searching her mind's dictionary for the right words. Nico raised an eyebrow and slowly lowered her chopsticks, as if she was ready to listen. "She looked like you."

Maki didn't know whether to bring up the fact she already knew Nico's mom was, well, _Nico's mom_. So she didn't.

But it seemed to make Nico's aura suddenly go from a content pink to a depressing blue. "Oh yeah?" she asked, rather inaudibly. Maki leaned closer, hoping to hear any whispers under her breath. Nothing.

Before Maki could even open her mouth, Nico raised a hand and smiled. Awkward, forced… like she was doing those performances. Maki hated the look of that smile. "Let's just drop that subject, okay?" she asked, stretching her arms with a loud sigh, not daring to look in Maki's direction. "Ahh all this cleaning made me hungry… well, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna eat before it gets cold!"

With that, Maki shut her trap and decided it wasn't a good time to bring up the subject today. But she was still curious, even if Nico didn't seem to want to get her involved. She wanted to know about Nico - if this is what they considered friendship, then it was normal to get to know her friends, right? So why was Nico being so closed off?

She desperately wanted to ask Nico to look her way, or even give her an acknowledging glance, but after their lunch Nico avoided any possible reason to even speak to Maki. Leaving her in an awkward stage of "is it or is it not okay to talk to her?"

"Hey, Maki," Nico said from within the piano after an hour of silence, voice tinny from the lack of echo. Maki hummed, using her shoulder to lift the lid instead of her fingers; she already had nail polish ready for when she got home. Nico's hair shuddered for a bit as she salvaged a handful of cobwebs; luckily she had gloves on. Dumping it into the trash bag they had laid open, she sighed.

"What do you want?" Maki urged, her frustration with Nico's cold shoulder treatment having got to her enough she was getting agitated.

Nico flinched and laughed. "Ah nevermind! So are you gonna do something other than stand there or are you actually gonna help me?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. Maki was taken aback by the sudden shift in her tone, but decided to roll with it, if only to hear Nico's voice. After talking with her more, Maki decided the silence she used to take solace in was suddenly unwelcome when Nico was around. It felt... almost unnatural, for Nico to go quiet.

She'd get to the bottom of this. Definitely.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Next chapter will be a dive into Nico's life, finally. But because the chapters are getting longer, 2 updates a day would be crazy… although I'll try my best to give you guys some quality…!

See ya later!


	8. Nico Nico Nii

_**A/N:**_

Grand Theft Auto. GTA is the reason I didn't update for two days.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Seven: Nico Nico Nii  
**_

* * *

"_Nico Nico Nii!" _

"_Papa what is that?" _

_A hand on her head and a bright, vivid smile on his face, making her little cheeks go up at the sight of it. "Why, it's Super Idol Yazawa Nico's catchphrase!"_

_He lifted her up onto the bench he sat on, spending an eerily amount of time on it everyday after work that Nico would climb down the stairs to question him every time, her mother and little sister sound asleep. Nico's tiny hands swiped on top of his hands, enjoying the feel of his safe, yet calloused fingertips. _

"_I'm not an idol!" she giggled when he lifted her hair into the twin pigtails she adored. He hummed, making her small form turn at an odd angle to gaze at his dark eyes. "Papa wants me to be an idol?"_

_He chuckled, and patted her head. "I want you to be an idol for your new sister, okay? To grow up being someone she - no, everyone! Be an idol _everyone_ can look up to!"_

Nico was still such an infant she didn't understand what he was saying.

"Nicocchi?" a poke to her cheek brought her out of her small daydream, the grumpy form of Nico turning to look at the curious eyes of her sole classmate friend, Tojo Nozomi. "I saw Nicocchi getting distracted during the lesson. What could be on her mind, I wonder?" She asked with such a serene, motherly smile that Nico shuddered. Nozomi liked to act like a wise old sage, listening to people, watching their every move… it was creepy.

Turning her head and poking at the food in front of her, Nico shrugged. "I wonder?" she repeated with a frown, glaring out the window. She couldn't meet with Maki today. Or tomorrow. Not because she was upset at her, but because she didn't want to be questioned.

Nozomi brought her hand to lightly press her palm against Nico's, a thin object keeping their skin from touching. Eyebrow raising in casual interest, Nico watched as Nozomi's hand lifted, revealing one of her many cards Nico believed were moot to begin with.

The Chariot.

"Oh my," Nozomi said in surprise, bringing a hand to her lips. Nico sighed, and her much bustier friend - a trait Nico admired and wished she could posses - leaned in with furrowed eyebrows. "Nicocchi, the card is telling you take action - change something in your life. It will bring you to a much happier state of mind."

Scoffing, Nico rested her chin in her free palm and nearly rolled her eyes had it not been for Nozomi's glittering gaze keeping her from doing so. Nozomi was always serious about her cards - to the point there was a rumor about her being some sort of secret mage in disguise when things in her predictions actually came into place. Although Nico thought it was just some sort of ruse, or a game of luck; she didn't believe in things like magic or miracles.

"Okay," she huffed, crossing her arms. Blazing red eyes met shiny amethyst, and after an intense staring session Nico blushed, stuffing her mouth with rice to avoid speaking to her. Nozomi relieved herself of her leaning position, taking her tarot card with her. Nico kept her eyes on her purple-haired classmate, wondering what was going through the slightly older girl's mind.

In her own, she was thinking about how Maki was enduring her lunch break… She wasn't very open to making friends, she knew that now, so it wasn't likely she had other friends she could run to if Nico wasn't there. It worried her - only a little, but it did.

"Ah, Nicocchi, who're you thinking of right now?" Nozomi teased, turning around with a quick flick of her wrist. Nico's head was caught underneath a gentle little tap, although Nozomi's eyes burned with a need to know.

Yes, Nico thought. Nozomi was indeed _creepy_.

"N-Nobody important!" she argued, trying to keep her voice low. The other students didn't really pay her any attention, and Nico didn't want to be known for the wrong reasons.

Making a sound underneath her breath, Nozomi gave her a half-lidded gaze now. "Oh really? Do I need to_ punish_ you as a means to get it out of you?" she asked, voice going quieter and quieter as she got closer to Nico's steaming face, tiny arms going to her chest out of instinct. A hand reached out to stop her before she literally was locking noses with Nico, a blonde head poking out from behind Nozomi's. Nico wanted to cry in happiness.

"Elicchi?"

A sigh, and then an apologetic smile was sent her way as their student council president got closer. "Nozomi… no teasing the other students like that, please?" she asked gently, stepping back as Nozomi made a sound of disappointment. Nico let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, slumping back in her seat.

"I wouldn't get comfy, Nicocchi," she giggled, giving Nico a little wink before she was lead out of the room by the taller blonde, bumping her shoulder a tiny bit with a smile.

_Ahh finally…_

Nico's eyes instinctively dragged themselves over to the clock on the wall, where it revealed lunch would be over in fifteen minutes. She didn't have enough time to go see Maki anyway, so she stayed in her seat and slowly took chunks of food into her mouth without even knowing it.

She then remembered her little daydream before Nozomi began her interrogations. Why had she thought of him at a time like this? Nico was always avoiding thinking about him; the mere mention of him would force her into a depressing mood. Moods that nearly ruined her day.

Maybe it was because Maki asked her about her mother. Maybe it was because her thoughts drifted to him occasionally. She couldn't tell. Nico sighed. She disliked this. She disliked being depressed, or silent. It was uncomfortable and restricting. Maki was able to bring out the best of herself, because she didn't object too heavily, or push her away, or pretended like she paid attention. Nico enjoyed being with her.

She was the very first person Nico could call her _friend_.

Ever since she was little, she had always been upbeat and energetic. Always running around with a smile on her face, trying to be the center of attention to gain friends, even if they weren't actually her friends. Nico liked being popular, being the best at whatever she could.

Standing, she hurried to throw everything into the little pouch for her lunch, rushing towards the door despite there only being seven minutes left of lunch. Even just a short hello - a single _glance_ would be enough for her. Even though they'd likely meet later to clean the nearly polished piano, Nico wanted to see her at that moment. The mere thought of Maki being by herself and wondering where Nico was made her angry at herself.

The halls rushed by, windows and students she didn't care about ignored as Nico kept her gaze in front of her. However, the short flash of a memory of the man she called Papa stopped her in her tracks. Was she ready to explain everything? Why _should_ she even tell Maki anything; it wasn't like Maki was the most caring person either. She'd most likely nod and say something like "okay" and then drop the subject forever.

Huffing, Nico turned around and began walking to her classroom.

Nico shook her head when she came back and furrowed her eyebrows with a frown, staring down at the exquisite lunch she had prepared to show off to the redhead, nearly empty and colorless save for a single spot. A bunch of grape tomatoes, tied into a little bundle sat in the corner.

She tried one, and it was bitter. She wondered why Maki liked those things.

* * *

And so, she decided to skip out on the piano cleansing, hoping Maki would understand.

"Nico!" a trio of voices sang when the door opened, although one sounded far off. Nico smiled and crouched down to hug the second smallest of the three, Cocoa, who ran up to her hips and became hidden beneath her pink blazer.

"Mama called and said to have dinner without her," the eldest of her three siblings said, calmly sitting at the table with a tablet in her hand. Cocoro smiled in Nico's direction and kicked her little feet, sitting across from her usually dazed brother Cotaro, who looked almost like their father in every way. Nico would always get uneasy when she looked at him for too long, as horrible as it may be. Her sisters liked to mimic her looks, with the mini twin tails (or one in their case), saying they too wanted to follow Nico's dream.

Nico set her things down on the kitchen counter and nodded at the cleanliness. She taught her siblings well. "So, what do you guys want? I'll make anything," she said with a smile, aiding Cotaro out of the high seat to walk around where he pleased. Cocoa hummed and Cocoro shrugged, leaving Nico to think of something herself.

Red flashed in her mind and she blushed, opening up the fridge to cool down her cheeks. It was going to be like any other night; she'd make dinner, then clean up the mess, take a bath and do homework before going to bed. Just because she considered Maki her friend didn't mean she needed to think about her every second of the day.

"Okay, let's see what I got today…"

The dinner consisting of a lot of tomato sauce was _her_ choice. It had nothing to do with Maki. Nope.

"Big sis," Cocoro called from the door to their bedroom, Cocoa slowly putting their little brother to bed. Nico was drying her hair and stopped, turning to the smiling little girl standing across the hallway. "We love you, you know?"

"Mm. I know," Nico chuckled, patting her little head. "I love you guys too."

"So even if you start making boyfriends when you're a Super Idol, you'll still be our big sis!"

Nico flinched. "W-what?! Who said anything about making boyfriends?!" she shouted, alerting the other two out of their nightly routine. Cocoro simply smiled, and Nico blushed.

_Are… are they even old enough to be saying that?!_

"Good night!" they said, shuffling into their small futons, the light shut off by the stuttering Nico. She shook her head with a large sigh and covered her face with her palms, heading into her overly decorative room. She fell with a loud grunt onto her bed, glaring at the desk where she was most likely needed to do whatever homework that was assigned.

Her phone, shut off early in the morning, was turned on, the bright screen making her face scrunch up in distaste. As usual, she had no messages or alerts, but the sight of her screen saver, of a man she used to admire and laugh with all day long, made her smile in sadness.

He had been her father, and he had been a musician. Much like Maki, he liked making music. Her mother, who hadn't been bothered with work so much back then, was his number two fan; second to Nico. She remembered him playing loud, spinny sounding songs she couldn't comprehend or follow that well, but she loved it. He always looked so energetic and full of happiness when he played for his growing family. Cocoro was still so tiny any sound made her cry in anger. Cocoa was in her mother's belly, nearly ready to pop out, and Cotaro wasn't in the picture until a few months later.

They traveled to small cities a lot, where he would play in tiny booths or sign up to be some unknown bar's performer for the night. There were nights he came home drenched in sweat, exhausted, yet content and satisfied; other nights he came home early, with a dark expression on his face. It only lifted when a horde of children bunched up at his feet, tiny red eyes looking up at him that it'd disappear.

Nico clenched her phone tighter.

"_What does a Super Idol do, Papa?" Seventh grade Nico leaned on the table with both hands under her chin, blinking at the sighing man in front of her. _

_He slowly turned to look at her, one of the final pieces he was working on scattered across the table. Her mother was in the living room, humming along to some pop song while rubbing her enlarged belly, smiling every so often when Cotaro responded. _

"_Well, they sing, and dance…" he listed, looking up for more things when Nico frowned, eyebrows shooting up and dark eyes going wide. "Oh! And they…." reaching out with large fingers to softly push her lips up, he laughed. "Make people smile!"_

_Nico laughed, feeling her cheeks being rubbed. "Then… is Papa a super idol?"_

"_I'm afraid Papa is too old to be a Super Idol," he sighed in dejection and hung his head, making Nico's arms flail at the sight. He winked at her and tapped her forehead, watching his wife look over to him with a gentle little lift of her lips, covering them with a finger. "But Nico, you can be the greatest Super Idol in the world!"_

"_Me?!"_

"_Yes! But… you know," he whispered, ushering her into a little huddle. Cocoa and Cocoro were asleep, so he needed to be a little quieter, unless he wanted his wife to maul him alive. "Super Idols have to eat all the vegetables to be strong and healthy."_

_Nico's face scrunched in disgust. She preferred sweet things. _

"_So can Nico be strong and healthy for Papa?"_

_She pouted, puffing out her cheeks when he began twirling his hand within her tiny pigtails. "Y-yeah," she answered with a bit of hesitation. _

Nico swiped her cheeks, growling at the feeling of water on her skin. The vibration of her phone went unnoticed, the unknown number ignored in favor of Nico taking in a shuddering breath, shaking her head back and forth to somehow shake off the sadness ebbing itself into her veins.

"What's with me?!" she yelled softly, slamming her hands onto her cheeks. "Stop being sad already!"

She had to worry about important things. College, her siblings, how she'd get a job so her mom could stop working so much… being sad and crying about her father wasn't going to help her future. Maybe Nozomi's stupid card was right; she had to change something to be happy later, right?

Blinking away her tears, Nico looked down at her phone and opened up the message from the unknown number, nearly breaking it in two when all she saw were a few characters.

_Where did you go?_

It had to be Maki. There was no way it _wasn't_ Maki, right? Who else would question her…

Another message.

_It's Maki. Answer, Nico. _

Nico tried her best to keep her pathetic behavior out of her text.

_Geez, Maki-chan! What a greeting! Not even a "hi"!? And dropping the "chan"... How rude of you. _

She gripped the small device with both hands, breaths stopping for a short second as she could only imagine the look on the redhead's face as she stared at her screen. Literally _stared_. She wasn't a person who expressed… well, anything, on her face very much, aside from anger and annoyance.

"Wait a second," she stopped, standing away from her phone as if it had offended her. "How did she even get my number?!"

The small chime caught her off guard… well, more like three chimes. In a row. Nico's eyelid twitched. Maki was really into this texting this, wasn't she?

_It's only becau_

Nico giggled, holding a hand to her lips. Leave it to Maki to reply without finishing her text.

_Only because you left me! _

_You left me to clean by myself! You promised, right?!_

"Ahh," Nico groaned, slamming her head down on her desk. Her homework could wait, right now she really needed some excuse Maki would believe. Hurriedly closing out of the texts, she decided to call her. "First she's gotta tell me where she got my number…"

Maki answered after five dial tones, and Nico swore she would have cursed out loud if it wasn't for the trio of innocent ears sleeping just across the hallway.

"Nico-chan," Maki dully stated, the older girl chomping on her cheek to avoid saying anything offensive. There was a brief silence before she heard something on the other line making the other line go fuzzy. Nico jumped, shoving her phone away from her ear to save it from death.

When she brought it back to her ear, all she heard was a rough, loud string of her name coming from Maki's mouth. "Did I dial it wrong? Nico-chan?"

"Geez I'm here," Nico sighed, "No need to freak out, Maki-chan."

"I'm not freaking out!" Maki loudly objected. She huffed, "So what happened today? You could have told me you weren't coming."

Nico flinched. Leave it to Maki to jump straight to the chase. "Err… well, y'see…" she stumbled, racking her brain for something she could lie about in an honest tone. She could hear the impatient taps of Maki's pencil hitting her desk, and it only caused her to squeeze her eyes shut, feeling like the world could end any second. A quick scope of her previous thoughts brought her to the best subject changer.

"Wait, first off how did you even get my number?!" she asked, placing her hand on her hip even though she was sitting and Maki couldn't even see her. "I don't remember you asking for it!"

"I asked your mom and she let me have it," Maki stated rather bluntly. She didn't even sound guilty; it was there for Nico to know and that was it. Nico froze, and there was a shift in body temperature.

"Huh…" she trailed off. "Did she say anything?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't remember anything important."

Nico shot up in her seat, "So she did say something!"

"All she said was to take care of it! Happy?!" Maki shouted back, breathing just as hard as Nico was, the sound oddly creepy coming from the receiver. Maki coughed and let out a breath, controlling her lungs. "Look, I'm… sorry, for yelling."

"Yeah."

Nico could tell they were both getting awkward again. They still had so many barriers it was weird trying to talk as if they were best friends. Maki was nothing like Nozomi. She didn't know how to handle her.

"Just… just _tell me_ next time, when you're not going to show up," Maki struggled to say without stressing it, although Nico could clearly hear it in her tone. "I-I mean, you promised me you'd help me clean that piano and I expect you to do it!"

_I was worried. Please don't do this again._

All Nico could do was smile. Maybe she really could tell Maki all about it, if Maki got so hung up over a single absence.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll try not to, okay? Now geez Maki, I didn't know you could get so sentimental," she teased, trying to bring up the odd atmosphere. She heard a string of sputters before she laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch? I'll _even_ tell you when I'm on my way."

"I don't need all that," Maki countered, sounding like she was pouting. She could be cute sometimes. "Bye…."

Even though she had told her that, Nico could still hear the silence on the other end, as if Maki was waiting for Nico to end the call. "You still there?" she sang, shocking the other girl to the point she hurriedly ended it, only the time spent talking blinking on her screen.

It disappeared, leaving her staring at her father, his wide smile making her smile as she touched the screen with her index finger, poking his digital cheek. She had made a promise to him to become someone _worthy _of smiles. She couldn't waste her time being sad about it. Making her signature sign with her hand, she smiled at the picture, ignoring the small dots forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Nico Nico Nii…"

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Ahh I didn't know how to end it. Gosh darn it why did I feels. Now we know about Nico~! But I left out some things, because that'd just be like an info dump, yeah? It'll be revealed later! It's still a bit early.

Thanks for reading!


	9. Drifting

_**A/N:**_

"Konetsu, where have you _been_?"

I've been playing SIF. I got lucky and nailed a SR Nozomi on my first scout. ;-; Then I got a SR Eli and she's a goddess who replenishes my stamina. NozoEli saves me.

But I reeeallly wanted that SR Kotori from the event that just ended. I'm extremely upset that I missed the deadline…

(Puts phone away) Now where were we?

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Eight: Drifting  
**_

* * *

"_Please…. p-please give me Nico-chan's phone number!"_

Maki shook her head roughly from the embarrassing memory, and looked up to watch the back of her instructor's head. She began following the strands of hair as they changed from a healthy black to a light brown and finally a dark grey, all neatly combed and sticking together with tacky gel. She needed to write down the material behind him, since it would be on a huge test later, but her mind refused, choosing to drift off into some daydream, yet again.

Sighing, she twirled her pen in her hand, the colorful utensil a present from Koji-san after he went shopping for unnecessary school supplies. Too happy with the package of pencils, notebooks, erasers, highlighters and gel pens, Maki could only hold them close to her chest as he literally jumped in joy. The sight of it reminded her of her impression of Nico - boisterous, bouncy…

Maki crushed her gel pen into her paper, hastily scribbling out the tiny hiragana taking place in the corner. A loud rush of air pushed itself out of her lungs, and she suddenly felt like the room was collapsing on her.

_Focus, Maki. You have to pass this test!_

Just because the test was next Friday didn't mean she could slack off on studying. Or at least, that's what she told herself. Her mind was constantly peddling in one direction, and then drifting off when thoughts of Nico surfaced. Especially because of the text she got this morning:

_Hey, Maki-chan~ I can't go to school today because of _something_, so have lunch without me! And make friends too!_

Made an itch rise within her to figure out what exactly Nico was trying to cook up. Or hide. Whatever Nico had on her mind, Maki wanted to know all about it. Not that she cared, but..

Okay, now she was going in circles.

"Remember the test is this Friday, so be sure to study for it…" her instructor drawled before closing his roster and bowing to the group of students. Maki's gel pen instantly fell from her fingertips, a small pink dot landing square over the English version of "Nico".

Maki sighed, closing the notebook to get rid of the bubbly yet irritatingly vivid images popping up in her mind. What Nico did was her business, and if she didn't say anything specific about her well-being, she was supposed to trust her and just _know_ she was fine. That was how friends worked; it would be really weird of her to suddenly want to be involved in everything Nico did.

"Maki-chan, nya~!" Rin cried the moment break began, attaching herself to Maki's desk. She was crouched down, and looking up at the redhead with a beaming smile, almost in the formation of an actual cat. The sight frightened Maki, and her first instinct was to lean away, which she did. However, Rin only veered closer, green eyes widening in anticipation.

"Rin-chan.. I'm not sure she can breathe," her more delicate friend whispered, pushing up her glasses. Maki wished Rin could act more like her - Hanayo was her name, right?

However, Rin only whined. "But _Kayochiiin_… look at her! She's so lonely…!" Maki could feel something constrict in her chest, twisting the tubes that surrounded her suddenly stopped heart. She was _not_ lonely. Not at all…!

"Well yeah, but…" suddenly, a gasp. Hanayo covered her mouth as a red tinge took place on her skin. "I-I'm sorry….!" She bowed twice, although Maki only stared in discomfort; she didn't really see herself as being the lonely type. Maki liked being alone - but she wasn't lonely. She had at least one friend in the school, after all. And the small growing trust at her orchestra. They didn't treat her as an equal yet, but they did come up to her for questions and other help.

She sighed and crossed her legs, turning away from the duo staring intently at her suddenly dozed face. "So what did you want?" she asked suddenly, pressing her palm to her cheek - hoping to hide her frown. Having two people she barely knew being so close to her was like cutting off her sense of coherent thought. It felt constricting.

"Nothing, nya," Rin casually answered, smiling despite the growing, and quite obvious peeved frown marring Maki's features. Hanayo was simply watching in the background, as if Rin was a short fuse who needed to be watched at all times of the day. Maki tightened the grip on her elbows, hoping the gesture would reach the other girls she just wanted to be alone. "You just looked really lonely, nya!"

How did someone look lonely? Maki was always alone, sure, but it wasn't ever uncomfortable. Being around people was actually a lot more frustrating, which lead her to believe Rin had no idea what she was talking about. Taking in a deep breath, Maki let out a sigh and averted her gaze to the blackboard being wiped off by one of their classmates. "I'm not lonely, thanks," she said.

Hanayo made a tiny sound from within her throat, and Maki resisted the urge to glare at her. She didn't seem like the type to get into someone's personal space, but it was evident in her body language and tight expressions she had something to say. So she could at least give her a chance to speak up.

Her glasses-wearing classmate cleared her throat and nodded to herself with a little whisper before locking eyes with Maki. "We just always see you alone during school hours, and thought you'd maybe like some company during lunch, or our breaks?" she asked, knees rubbing together. However, her gaze didn't falter, but Maki didn't hesitate to roll her eyes.

_I don't need anybody else. I have to focus on passing that test, and on the practice sheets Hachiro-san gave me to look over. This is a waste of time. _

"Thanks for the offer but I decline. You can find somebody else to hang out with," she blurted quite harshly. Rin looked at her with an incredulous expression, going slack jaw at her blunt refusal. Maki couldn't find it in herself to feel bad; not when they had no real motivation to approach her.

When they slunk off to their seats, Maki kept her eyes on the notes in front of her, ignoring the piercing green gaze coming from the center of the room.

* * *

"Nico Nico Nii!" Nico cried over to the small group of adults lounging around a tiny shack of a bar, a tiny table keeping their suitcases from getting dirty at their feet. Her little cup sat next to her schoolbag, and her uniform had been tucked neatly away inside of it, replacing it with her maid uniform. She wasn't allowed to work on school days, but Nico figured a little bit of advertisement wouldn't hurt.

Especially concerning a group of already-drunk businessmen gossiping about their wives and coworkers. These guys were always the suckers; dropping in handfuls of cash before they could even comprehend what was going on. Once their friends put in a few coins, the rest followed suit.

Holding up her fingers and pointing directly at the men, Nico winked. She needed to amp up the cuteness if she wanted to score big today. And she needed to do it fast. The maid cafe was a mere ten minute walk from the little bar shack, and if she was caught her job would be at stake.

"Nico's sorry she hasn't been able to come lately! School is really tough and sometimes it makes her sad knowing she's left you behind!" she said with a tiny bow. The men made a sound of awe and clapped, some of them throwing up a hand sign signaling they knew who she was; that was good. She some kind of rep. Even the bartender (who really just sat down cans of beer on his counter) yelled something to her in happiness. "So today I'm going to give you guys a little concert you deserve! You work so hard so it's going to be special!"

The men clapped and all at once sauntered over, red faces and wide grins giving Nico the shudders, but nonetheless a sliver of happiness rushed through her when the jingle of yen fell into her cup.

This is what she had to do. It was the _only_ thing she could do.

As she danced and sang a cover of a song she knew was well-known, Nico could easily tell she was bringing in a crowd. Her dress, a little too big on her but not overly baggy, brushed her legs and ankles, swaying to the perfect and near-robotic movements of her body. It was a dance she memorized down to the second. And it had to be perfect every single time. If Sonoda Umi could do it every time, so could she; and she'd never let some younger, _downgraded_ popstar beat her.

Spinning, spinning, and a final pose; Nico gave her biggest beam to the small group of men and women, the song slowing to an end and sweat beading down her forehead. They clapped and approached her tiny cup, tossing in the handfuls of change littering their pockets. A smile graced her face, and she bowed over and over to them.

"Thank you so much! I appreciate the support you're always giving me!" she said over the murmur of voices. Most of them had gone away now; already having forgotten her name and voice. The faces she looked at were always the same; old, strange, perverted… there was never a genuinely happy face she looked at in her crowds, unless she could count kids. It was horrifying to see such grown men act the way they did in front of her.

She gathered her belongings and bowed once more. "Nico is sending a smile right to your hearts! Please continue to follow me in my mini concerts around Akiba! Nico…"

"Nico Nii!" they followed along with her, some of them laughing at her childish catchphrase, others genuinely confused at the sight of a high schooler not being in class at such early hours of the day.

Turning around, she had meant to find a public bathroom and change out her now sweaty uniform when she found a man holding up a crepe to his mouth, the whipped cream smearing his nose and dropping onto his uniform. A uniform she felt she had seen before. But seeing as he wasn't very familiar to her, Nico smiled and gave him a single-handed "Nico pose" before disappearing down an alley, gritting her teeth at the feel of her annoying little high heels suffocating her feet.

She had scored big today, so there was no use in complaining. That was an idol's job after all.

* * *

Maki's fingers slowly slid across the cleaned keys on her grand piano. The dust of the room was now gone, the grimey slime that made the surface of the instrument had been scrubbed clean, and the window allowed a fresh breeze in to relieve the room of any muggy air. Maki took in a deep breath and reached over to bring a clump of rice into her mouth, the music sheet laying before her a blank slate. She didn't have anything to create, and there was no way she could even use this piano without the inside being totally complete.

In all honesty, she was angry at Nico for ditching her again. She wanted to finish; she wanted to play, to finally be left alone to her own devices and create what she wanted. Sing how she wished without a million judgemental eyes listening to her every move. Maki loved performing, but she also liked being in her own bubble, being her own judge.

But all of that would have to wait for another day. Tomorrow would be orchestra day, and she had no time to waste messing around with Nico. She had to practice.

So she set aside her lunch box, ignoring the rustle of the contents inside and pressing her fingers against the white keys of her claimed piano. There was a mix of sharp tones mingling together in the air, many that hurt her ears, but she pressed on. Simply pressing and playing what she wished, whatever notes and whatever rhythms came to mind were expressed in a depressing manner, a medley of all the songs she could think of mingling together in a hotpot of nothingness. Maki hated the way _everything_ sounded, but even as she grimaced and bit her lips in embarrassment, she played. If this was considered practice, she would do it. She didn't care if Nico was there anymore or not.

The sounds echoed through the window, a harsh melody escaping the room she used to think belonged to her and Nico alone. Sounds of students and hushed whispers gave her the chills, with numerous faces coming to press against the tiny glass embedded in the door. But Maki closed her eyes, and ended her string of music vomit with a slam of her palms.

"That was bad… so bad," she whispered, having the urge to open up the piano and pull out all the dingy strings that prevented her from playing a single note. Maki leaned back and checked the time on her phone; there was ten minutes before the warning bell rang, and fifteen until her final classes started.

"Wow, that was pretty bad, nya," a voice said by her side, shocking Maki enough that her phone flew out of her grip and into the lap of her classmate, the smiling Rin. Frowning, she blushed and reached over to grab it, turning her whole body away from the other girl, who simply leaned closer. "Maki-chan~!"

She closed her eyes and gripped her phone tighter, bringing it to her chest. The sudden appearance of another person was stifling. Almost as if Rin was imposing on something she kept hidden away from the others. Maki wanted to be alone. "I already told you I didn't want to hang out with you so why are you here?" she asked harshly, nearly hissing while she packed her things. Rin smiled and threw out her arms.

"I heard a lot of noise and came to see what it was nya!" Rin answered energetically, jumping to her feet the moment Maki did. A cold violet stare met her glimmering lime-colored orbs, and Rin took a small step back, feeling the dark aura emitting from the redhead. Maki hadn't meant to be so intimidating, but the fact that Rin called her music _noise_ of all things made her angry.

"Go bother someone else already," she stated, slinging the straps of her bag over her shoulder. With a flick of her hair, Maki opened the door to find a sniveling Hanayo, clutching her palms together while a boy stood at her side, nearly in the same state. "Ehh…"

"Maki-chan that was beautiful!" Hanayo cried, borrowing the handkerchief from the boy standing next to her. The green-haired girl clutched to his sleeve and covered her mouth with the cloth. "We were so moved!" The boy nodded over and over, covering his mouth from voicing his sobs.

_Why are the people here so gross? What's wrong with them?_

Rin peered over her shoulder to watch the two crying duo along with the obviously disgusted Maki. She placed her hands against Maki's shoulders and leaned in with a teasing smile. "Looks like you have fans, Maki-chan, nya!"

Maki's lips twitched and she laughed nervously along with the orange-haired girl, clinging to her bag in hopes she could slip away and never be bothered by the weird lot composed of Hanayo, Rin and the boy named Saito.

A loud knock on the door received their full attention, and Maki's eyes widened when they dawned upon a familiar looking, stoic face. Crystal blue eyes and pink lips formed into a frown, followed by a head of blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail - Maki realized the girl before her was the same one she briefly saw a week earlier.

"Sorry for intruding on your fun," she said in a monotone, strict tone. Maki flinched. It was almost razor sharp. Eyes landed on her, and Maki couldn't help but frown. "But you're disturbing other students in this building and I'm here to tell you to quiet down."

"Sorry Council President, nya!" Rin shouted with a wave of her arm. Hanayo shushed her, and Saito stood rigid, arms at his sides.

Behind her, a little sound, almost like a giggle, brought the President to lift a hand to her bangs, although her gaze never left Maki's. Shaking her head, the blonde smoothed out her skirt. "In any case if this happens again I'll have to report it. Try not to be so loud next time when you play?"

Maki nodded, but there was no way she'd be able to avoid doing so once her cleaning project was completed and the piano was capable of sounding like a piano. Until then, she'd have to follow the rules. "Whatever," she breathed. This was her room, and _her_ instrument. What she did with it was her choice. As the blonde girl walked away, Maki stared at her back, not able to picture her wearing some sort of tutu. It was almost unnatural and she didn't even know the girl.

Saito cleared his throat, and rubbed the back of his navy blue hair. "Um, I guess this is where we part! Gotta get to class, so… see ya!" he yelled, causing Maki to flich. Hanayo and Rin laughed to themselves, and Maki turned to stare at them.

"I'm going to class," she breathed, already exhausted just by being in their presence. If Nico was pushing it, Rin and Hanayo was overkill. This was why she didn't make friends. There was too much to it.

Unfortunately, the two had followed after her, and Rin clung to her shoulder while asking a million questions, one after another. As if they had become best friends overnight. Hanayo simply stood and smiled, enjoying herself while Maki was smothered in attention she didn't want.

Still, she supposed she was following Nico's advice in making friends. Annoying ones, but if she _could_ call them friends, then she would. Maki shook her head at the thought of Nico; her fingertips desperately wanted to descend onto her phone screen to tap a message to her, just to make sure she was alive.

But she refused to. Maki didn't want to look clingy by asking Nico of her whereabouts. It was one thing to be upset about her missing those days they were supposed to be cleaning; it was another to have an excuse for not coming to school at all. And Maki knew it was none of her business. So she left it alone.

Rin pushed her inside with a loud battle cry and Maki hopped over to her desk with the sudden momentum, feeling her stomach rumbling and crying at the lack of attention she had given it. Maybe if she asked, she could get Koji-san to get her a snack…

Another text.

_Sorry Maki-chan! I'll definitely be at the room after school, so meet me there okay~? Nico out!_

Rolling her eyes, Maki put her phone away, but felt the corners of her lips pulling them upwards without her permission.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

I was going to write more, but nah. It's 3AM and I've been up for longer than I need to.

That said, I'm definitely going to work on getting the next chapter out faster and not get distracted by mobile games. We're going to start slowly drift from school and begin the journey through the orchestra now. You might be asking, "Where Muse at?" They're coming. I swear.


	10. The Great Minalinsky

_**A/N:**_

I've binged on little Maki compilations/clips just to get her character down (or at least try to attempt it), but the influx of cuteness rendered me unable to write for like three hours. Maki is too pure.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Nine: The Great Minalinsky**_

* * *

Maki bit her lip upon glancing at the still very blank music sheet, laying limp against the bridge of the keyboard before her. Nico was on her way, probably making very long strides just to get on her nerves again, but that thought was pushed aside as Maki realized she needed to, at the very least, fill the entire page with a composition suitable for a practice session. And yet she could come up with nothing. The raging notes and horrendous renditions she created during lunch were long gone now, leaving her empty.

The door slid open then, Nico's ragged breathing giving Maki the distraction she didn't want. A little jostling later, and Nico appeared; hair sloppily tossed together in their usual twintails, school bag lumping in various places and her hands holding a pair of sparkling silver heels near her hip. She looked exhausted.

"_Wow_, don't you look stunning," Maki said with a smug grin, fixing the little pile of papers she had growing in her binder. Old compositions, some of them abominations she couldn't even call music (they were pretty much noise, as Rin would put it), some left unfinished, and others she had given up on long before coming to fruition.

Nico gave a grunt as she threw her things aside, crossing her arms and slamming her bottom down next to Maki, a flurry of empty papers scattering to the floor. "H-hey!" Maki yelled in discontent, having the urge to push her off. However, when a hardened red gaze met hers, she was frozen. The little sprinkle of sweat on her forehead and the flush of her cheeks made Nico look upset. Like someone had made her angry.

But that was the least of Maki's worries. For now anyway. Violet eyes circled the ground, finding the sheet she was given by her mentor, a scribble of a description marring the top of the page where the title should have gone. She only had a few hours before she had to go home - Koji-san left no room for any more extensions. Maki had no time to worry about Nico.

"Could you be more careful where you throw that thing?" she asked through a sigh, a hand motioning over to Nico's caboose. The raven-haired girl snickered, and Maki looked up before reaching for her assignment.

"So you admit I at least have some curves, huh?" Nico asked, puffing out her chest as if it would emphasize her lack thereof. Maki hummed with a shrug, leaving the other girl baffling to herself as the redhead brought her blank sheet back to the center. "So what's that? Homework from your rich music school?" She sounded bitter, but Maki knew not to let Nico's word choices bother her. It was the only way to even tolerate her presence.

"You could say that. I have to write a song by tomorrow," she said, closing her eyes in frustration. Nico scoffed and she opened one of them to glare at her. "You know if all you're going to do is be a bother I'd rather have you go home."

Nico glared right back, a deep, comedic frown replacing her mirth. "Oh yeah? Well maybe you should do homework, oh you know - at _home_?"

"I don't have a piano at home," Maki sighed, "If I did I wouldn't bother coming here." With that she opened up the keyboard and stared at the shiny black and white keys. Every time she laid her eyes on them, it was like opening up a present from Santa. Then she remembered the atrocity she created during lunch and the lecture from Ayase Eli she received. Before playing, they're project needed to be finished. "Do you know how to clean up the strings in there?"

"Of course not," Nico snorted, her head turned to the side. It was obvious Nico wasn't going to be much help today, since she did come in like a wreck-

"So let's look it up," the shorter girl added, lifting the tablet she was searching for in her bag. Maki blinked, and nodded with a little hesitant hum. Nico scooted closer and tapped away on it, her petite fingers dancing across the screen like they knew exactly where to go. Maki had next to zero experience with things like that, so she was glad Nico took the lead.

She looked at Nico's hair, since her head was bowed, the deep dark strands healthy and shiny from the opened window. It looked like Nico took care of her appearance, whereas Maki just threw on what she felt like and it somehow came out looking okay. Out of habit, her hand lifted to twirl a few locks of her own hair, slightly jealous of Nico's.

"Okay look," Nico said, bringing up the tablet once she found a video. She took note of Maki looking away and leaned closer, a deadpan expression forming. "I could watch this myself and be on my way~"

Pushing her head away, Maki shook off the steam emitting from her face and lightly pounded on the top of Nico's head. "G-geez just play the video!" she said, biting the inside of her cheek when Nico's finger inched closer to the screen, but kept a teasing stare on the younger girl.

As it played, Maki took notes and Nico readied the piano for a step by step instruction for each of the 80 strings within the grand piano. "Okay, turn up the volume Maki-chan!"

Nodding, Maki reached for the tablet and did just that, the man's voice echoing through the room as the sound increased. She had been surprised when Nico was the first to attempt it, but was glad she didn't have to go inside of it again - she didn't really enjoy inhaling handfuls of grime.

"Okay, now what you're going to do is use this brush, which I just got at the…."

"Well we don't have one of those," Nico breathed as she came up from within the piano. "The wires are all clogged… but I guess I can just wipe 'em out! No problem!" Lifting her facemask, she dove right back in, and Maki couldn't resist ignoring the video and taking notes to watch her. Her red eyes were determined to get the piano cleaned, if only just to rid the burden of repaying Maki. It was almost inspiring.

Shaking her head, Maki blushed and continued taking her notes, hoping Nico didn't notice Maki dozing off while staring at her. That would have been embarrassing.

It was silent, with only the little rustle of trees keeping them from their tasks. Maki was grateful Nico could actually keep quiet for more than a minute.

"AHH!"

Or maybe she was wrong. Jumping, Maki tossed her notebook out of shock and looked towards Nico, who held her thumb close to her mouth, a very red dot appearing from a slit in her skin. "Nico-chan?!" she asked loudly, hurrying to her feet to check on Nico, who was grimacing in pain. "What did you do?"

"Not cleaning, that's for sure. Shhh…." she said, muffling a very harsh curse word with her tongue. Maki wished she was the stereotypical doctor's daughter and carried around gauze or bandages with her; but she wasn't. "I'll probably just suck on it until the blood stops," Nico said, inching her digit closer to her mouth.

Maki stopped her, however, a cloud of annoyance seeping over her head. "No, that's _gross_. Wrap it in something and go to the nurse's office or it'll get infected."

Nico clicked her tongue but nodded anyway. "Fine, fine. Sheesh. And here I thought Nurse Maki would treat my wounds~ Oh woe is me!"

Maki flinched, dropping her grip on Nico's wrist before sputtering out nonsense in an effort to properly deny Nico's expectations. Instead, she stomped on Nico's foot and turned around to gather her things, ignoring the yelps and hops from side to side coming from the other girl.

"I'm going home," she huffed, walking past Nico and leaving the room. Nico called out for her, sounding like she was dying and breathing her last puffs of air, but Maki closed her eyes, throwing her nose in the air as she left the school building.

Tiny footsteps made it to her within a few minutes of her reaching the school gates, Nico looking even more tired than before. With a tight grip to Maki's shoulder, Nico regained her breath (or tried anyway) whilst keeping her eyes on anything but the redhead who currently was her only reason for being on her feet.

"You gonna let go anytime soon?" Maki asked, adjusting her schoolbag. Nico grunted some sort of insult back at her, but she pretended it never reached her ears. Koji-san would be there soon, but she didn't want to text him and make him speed from wherever he was at the moment.

After a full five minutes of nothing but Nico's heaving (and sometimes gagging for dramatic effect), she let go and dusted herself off, tails slapping Maki's arm occasionally. "Maki-chan can't take a joke I see," Nico pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

Maki shrugged. "Why aren't you going to the nurse? You're going to bleed all over the place," she said in disgust as she looked over to the still-red slit on Nico's thumb. The shorter girl smirked and placed her thumb in the air.

"I can take _way_ more than this! A little cut is nothing!"

"Right… well, since I have stuff to do you might as well go home," Maki urged.

Nico waved her hand. "Eh, I've got time before I need to go home. Want to do something?" It would technically be the first time they actually hung out together, but Maki wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it.

Snapping her fingers, Nico grabbed onto Maki's arm and dragged her away without even a proper answer from the redhead. "I know the best place! But first, I must cover up!"

* * *

Maki, sitting across the polished wood table and impatiently tapping her nails, watched as a fidgety Nico played with the hem of her skirt, acting somewhat like Hanayo. It was annoying, especially with her stupid get-up. Giant, black sunglasses and a face mask completely shielded her identity from everyone within the maid cafe. It wasn't the one Nico worked at (since that was in Akiba), so Maki couldn't understand her reason for disguising herself.

It finally took a loud sigh of grief from her partner that Nico released her mouth from its confines. "Shh! Maid cafes are _mean _when it comes to competition. If they know it's me, we'll definitely be kicked out!" she whispered harshly, leaning forward and keeping her face hidden behind the small menu. Maki rolled her eyes. Of course it was some stupid reason like that. Competition? How lame.

"That's stupid," she stated, running a hand through her hair. Nico ignored her comment and continued sliding her finger down the menu, as if trying to find something specific.

"Hello!" a high-pitched voice cried from the side, a girl with long grayish hair appearing with a cute smile. Maki tilted her head and watched for Nico's reaction. When there was none, she lifted her own menu and cautiously looked it over. If she got something with a lot of sugar she'd be able to stay awake and at least attempt some sort of thrown together song, right?

When the maid was finally at their table, Nico fumbled with the item in her hand and let it slowly slide onto the table, glasses going slack against the bridge of her nose. "Y-yes! We're ready to order!"

The waitress smiled, although there was a slight concerned furrow of her eyebrows while Nico stared at her (or at least Maki assumed she was). She sighed; if Nico wasn't going to at least order a glass of water, she might as well do it herself.

"I'll get a Café au lait and a…" her eyes scanned the pictures again, smiling when she saw something she hadn't had in a while. "Strawberry shortcake."

She could see Nico's grimace even through her face mask, and handed the waitress her menu while giving her a challenging smirk. Nico looked like she didn't even want to speak up, yet knew she'd have to if she wanted to sulk while Maki enjoyed her sweets.

Pulling open her mask by just a centimeter, she licked her lips. "Milk tea, omurice with no ketchup."

The grey-haired girl giggled, taking both menus. "Of course~ I'll get that out for you as soon as possible!" she smiled behind the menus, twirling on her feet before heading towards the kitchen to make the food herself. Nico slammed her elbows down on the table, making the napkin container jostle a bit. Maki frowned at the rude behavior.

"You probably don't know who that is, since you're new in Tokyo. But that's who we call Minalinsky. She's the most popular maid here… second to me, of course," Nico explained, talking as if they were discussing a criminal. Maki leaned her chin on her palm, trying to look invested.

"She's my top rival; she doesn't sing or dance or anything - and yet she's so popular with the people in Akiba she has her own section in the idol merchandise store!" Nico grieved, her palm hitting the top of the table. Again, everything around her quaked and threatened to topple over.

Maki sighed. "Does she even know you exist?"

"How dare you even ask that! I'm the top requested maid at my cafe," Nico sniffed, turning her head away.

"You sure it's not because you're the _only one_ there?"

Nico pointed a finger at Maki, taking a peek over her sunglasses. "Look, you. We were just short staffed that day! I have to pick up the slack all the time, not that I mind. That means more recognition for Nico!" With that she smiled and leaned back, as if she had just won a decisive argument. Maki only shook her head and waited for the moment her drink would arrive. It was late spring but there was still an occasional chilly breeze every now and then.

Music coming from speakers overhead reached her, a bubbly pop song that reminded her of the music she found Nico trying to force her to listen to. It was annoying; a jumble of electronic sounds and energetic beats. But it didn't sound bad, so she would have to look up more of it when she had time.

"Ugh, it's like my two enemies coming at me at once," Nico said in between her own personal gruffs. Maki raised her eyebrows and Nico pointed up. "Sonoda Umi. Probably the hottest thing since onigiri right now. She _just_ debuted as an idol and she already has tons of fans. It's depressing, really. To know they'll all go to waste once Nico makes her debut."

Maki shrugged. "Well, more competition makes it fun. Being number one all the time gets boring after a while," she said, watching from the corner of her eye as Minalinsky trotted over to them with a huge tray in her single hand. On it were their drinks and snacks, and Maki could already feel the sweet strawberries sliding on her tongue.

As Minalinsky gently set down their plates, she exchanged gazes with Maki, both of them quite aware of the shrunken Nico. Before she left, however, she leaned closer to Maki's ear - the action causing the appendage to redden considerably - and smiled.

"Nico-chan always acts like this when she comes here," she whispered, her words forcing a slight twitch of Maki's lips. "It's pretty cute!"

With that she took off, but not before giving a cute curtsy, her black dress elegantly following her to another spot in the room. Nico's eyes followed her but not before she lowered her face mask, a clear glaze of sweat surrounding her mouth. Maki wanted to voice her disgust at the sight. "Hmph," Nico said, already judging the yellow dish before her. It was in the shape of a cat, with a little glass paw on the side of the plate full of sugar.

It wasn't until Nico poured the entirety of the sugar into her tea that Maki realized Nico probably enjoyed sweet things. As the black-haired girl brought her spoon to her lips, with more than a lttle vigor in her actions, Maki took a chunk out of her treat and lifted it in the air, holding it between them.

Nico paused, mouth full of eggs and hands occupied with her drink and silverware to even comprehend what Maki was doing (and in Maki's defense, she had no idea what she was doing either). "Fwhat ar you fuing?"

_What are you doing?_

Which was a good question she asked herself. Gulping, Maki blushed and realized she was actually offering to feed Nico. _Feed her_. Not just offer to share - but feed her. Share forks, swap saliva, whatever. She retracted her arm and looked down at her small cake, trying hard to come up with something - anything, to take back the embarrassing action.

"I - figured since you're pretty much drinking sugar with your tea, you'd want to try this with me," she said with a slight shudder, hoping Nico would see through her lie and her embarrassment could end. However, when Nico pulled off her sunglasses and set them aside, she gave Maki a very strange smile.

"Are you sure you aren't trying to _feed me_, Maki-chan? I guess this could be considered a date!"

It took all her willpower not to shove the shortcake into Nico's face.

* * *

Koji-san watched Maki as she tapped away on her phone, as she had been when he picked her up at the maid cafe, another girl standing with her before they parted. He had recognized her as the one he'd seen earlier in the day, although her appearance looked less… synthetic. If that's what he could name it.

However, it would technically be the first time he'd seen Maki so interested in interacting with other people. It was like watching his child walk all over again, but less frustrating. "So, I see you've made a friend?" he asked quietly, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as they passed through her neighborhood. Koji-san smiled upon seeing Maki bring her phone to her chest, smothering the screen against her uniform.

"Hmph. She's just a classmate," she denied, shaking her head. After that, her phone buzzed and her eyes were on the screen of her phone instantly. Koji-san could have laughed at her contradicting behavior, but kept it to himself.

00

Maki stared at the blank sheet of paper again, towel sitting limp over her head, which was still a blank canvas. No inspiration flowed through her at all, and not a single sound made her want to create a piece - even one as sloppy as throwing notes together. She sighed and threw herself on her bed. It was a quiet night; her parents weren't home because of an emergency at the hospital, and Koji-san had a family of his own to tend to.

Except, she wasn't quite alone. Nico was there, even in text form. But again, someone could stay up for so long before passing out, and Maki had no energy to even fall asleep.

_How's the music making going, Maki-chan~? ;p_

Maki sighed, and would continue to do so until she found at least a sliver of motivation to create something. She knew if she didn't even have a single note she'd be the laughing stock of her orchestra. They all could probably come up with songs and hear all of the instruments coming together in her head. Maki could barely hear her own.

_Bothersome. I don't know what to write. _

It took a while before Nico replied, and Maki couldn't blame her. It was late and she was sure Nico was preoccupied with her own family. She was jealous of Nico for a lot of reasons, but the first being in that she had siblings and parents who always saw her when she came home. Maki wished she could even have a third of that, but shook her head at the off-topic thoughts. She needed to write as song in the next ten hours or she'd be screwed.

When her phone vibrated, she didn't hesitate to open it up and read its contents.

_Do what I do: nothing!_

"Like that helps!" Maki shouted at her device, tossing it aside. Even in text Nico had the audacity to be a goof!

Although, it wasn't like it was unwelcome.

"Wow, so you ignore my text and then call me? You're so bipolar," Nico huffed on the other end of the line after Maki decided to call her. Maki's pencil tapped against her knee, little birds and other doodles making the corners of the score sheet come alive.

She blew a strand of hair and twirled it, the soft feeling of her hair after a bath something she enjoyed. "You're the one to talk. Asking me how it's going and then recommending I do nothing," she answered in monotone.

Nico laughed, "Because you were doing so well before! Look, just tell Mr. Stuck-up that if he can't write a song in a week, then you shouldn't have to!"

"Nico-chan, he's a world famous composer."

"Oh…"

"Yeah."

She ran a hand through her hair and glanced at the clock, wincing at how late it had gotten. And yet, she didn't want to hang up yet. Nico was her only last hope if she wanted to stay sane that night, and if she lost her Maki would go insane and probably tear up her music sheets.

"Say," Nico started, "Don't you have other songs you can use? I noticed them when I came into the room today. Just use one of those!"

Maki turned around to her binder, which was opened on her bed with the loose sheets of old scores she had written in a neat pile. She bit her lip; could she even get away with this? "Of course you'd recommend cheating," she said, although her hand instinctively reached for one of them, something she hadn't bothered finishing during middle school. After joining UTX and its orchestra, she had no need for such a boring song.

But now… maybe she could pull it off. Nico didn't need to know that, though. "Whatever. I'm hanging up now, you're no help," she lied, a pang in her chest telling her of how much it hurt to lie to her.

Nico made a noise between being offended and laughter. "Well, since I'm _so useless_, I'm hanging up first! But - see you on Monday. Don't stress too much about this, Maki-chan!"

Click.

Maki held her unfinished score to her chest, shielding the warm phone that moved in rhythm with her heartbeat. Closing her eyes, Maki mentally thanked Nico before she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

It's done! Next chapter we're going to see more of the orchestra snobs! And some more of Nico's mom. :D

Oh, and also some sad stuff. :( I'd recommend preparing (_Yorimichi shi tekanai?_) on Youtube for it.


	11. Branched Off

_**A/N:**_

So I started this at like 3 AM because the Maki event was keeping me up all night. I am_ getting _that SR Maki even if it kills me. Six hours into play and I don't even have 10k points…. this is going to be a while.

And I said the sad stuff would be happening. But I lied. That's not until waaay later.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Ten: Branched Off**_

* * *

"This is unacceptable," Yuji snapped, forcing the score Maki was convinced would be at the very least decent, right into her face again. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips were pursed into a thin snarl. "How dare you even try to call this music."

The other students of the orchestra, some of them in shock and others in plain understanding, stayed silent in their seats; not even a whisper was shared amongst themselves. Their instruments stayed secure in their arms, almost as if they were trying to push back the angry aura surrounding their instructor.

"Redo this and have it done correctly," he said, turning around swiftly to stare at the other students. "Everyone else, continue practicing together. You have four months to complete this!" With a clap of his hands, everyone came back to life, running towards their bags for their score sheets, while Maki stared at the abomination in her hands, a result of falling asleep and scribbling what she could when she woke up.

She wished she could text Nico. Tell her how wrong of a decision they had gone with.

Sitting at her bench, Maki sighed and ran a hand through her hair, wanting to tear the sheet to pieces, while also wanting to redo it. She was at a loss; she knew nothing about _actual_ composition. What she used to do was a random layer of notes after notes she thought sounded okay.

"So, she was sent as a _recommendation_ here," someone in the flute section scoffed to herself. It was that same girl who approached Maki about help with her notes. Her grey hair reminded Maki of Minalinsky, but it was less bright and bouncy, especially coupled with her deadpan expression. Maki had learned not to take those kinds of critics to heart, if it wasn't about her actual music. But immediately after being reprimanded about her score was... hurtful.

Another girl, with short brown hair, shrugged. "Yumi-chan, she's good _enough_ for a piano, you know? Just let her be," she said. Maki wanted to nod along with her, but decided she had enough eavesdropping.

_Let them gossip. I don't _care_. _

"Alright string section," Yuji began, snapping his fingers to silence the room. He motioned over to the small group of violas, violins and a single cello. "I'm not hearing much of you being in sync with the rest. Let's go over your part for a few minutes. The rest of you are to not disturb them."

Maki rested her head against her palm, trying to come up with a song that would be a sufficient background to the rest of the orchestra. She didn't have a huge role; minor notes wouldn't pop very much to an audience, but she still wanted it to be done properly.

"Sensei," one of the girls called, lightly waving her bow in the air. Maki could easily tell she had been playing music for as long as she could breathe. The way she sat, the way she held her instrument like it was her baby, scuffed and smudged without a care. Maki envied her. She wouldn't ever dare let anybody look at her instruments if so much as a scratch was on them. Her parents had instilled the thought of needing a clean and presentable instrument if she were to ever perform.

"Yes, Kujo-san?"

"I have a problem with the entire score of the viola's part in this song," she explained to their instructor, quieting down the boys flanking her. They gaped and sat rigidly, clenching their bows in either hatred or encouragement.

Yuji coughed into his fist. "I've been playing this song for years with no problem. What exactly is wrong with your section?" he asked, lightly brimming with agitation. Maki wanted to cheer her on; to spit in the face of the man who had just told Maki her piece of work was nothing more than worthless.

Kujo lifted the paper off of her stand and waved it in his face, forcing him to stand back. "So what? The viola are completely drowned out by the harsh tone of that... _cello_ back there, and I'm sure Kousaka-san would be more than happy to take the night classes and work on her piece."

The girl in back, currently hiding her face behind the thick neck of her cello, shyly glanced at Yuji, who held his hands behind his back and stared her down. Many pairs of eyes followed him, and Maki could see the redness crossing her nose from the sheer amount of silent attention the younger looking girl was getting.

"Kousaka-san," the man said, clearing his throat. "We do offer a nightly class for two hours, usually after these sessions and often during the week. I will gladly tutor you more if you so need."

She nodded and stared at her sheet, ignoring the rest of the class as he went back to Kujo and her little smirk. Maki labelled her as the first bully of the orchestra. "Now," Yuji continued, "Viola group. Any other issues? Should the notes be higher or lower?"

Kujo shook her head and met eyes with the girl in the back. "Nope. As long as Kousaka-san isn't blaring her cello at inappropriate moments over our parts I'm fine. Just try to sound a little less like a dying cat and more like a real instrument, okay?"

Maki bit her lip. She sounded like a more brash and blunt Nico. With that thought in mind she could stand up to anybody. But now was not the time. She could feel her fingers twitching against the bump of her cellphone, and Maki shook her head. It could cost her the entire program if she was caught using her phone during practice.

Speaking of practice, Maki listened well while the other students played. The violas softly meshing with the flutes, and the single clarinet being overpowered by the trumpets by a small margin. They still needed time before they were in sync and played well, but Maki couldn't see a piano meshing with anything. Like it would convolute everything the others were working hard for.

"Hachiro-sensei," she said as he passed by, intently watching his students playing amongst themselves. The piece was slowly coming together nicely, with the exception of the girl in front of him. She had yet to prove herself to even be worthy of _auditioning_ for the orchestra - much less playing in it. While she had talent, and he could see it on her papers and more importantly, her face, Nishikino Maki still had a while to go before she could call any of her compositions _polished_.

Maki looked at him with a certain glint in her eyes. Almost anger? He didn't blame her; he did outwardly call her score garbage. "Yes, Nishikino-san?"

Closing her eyes for just a second, Maki breathed through her nose and out from her mouth before opening up two violet orbs, half-lidded in disapproval… of his presence. Yuji nearly choked on his saliva. Such a young girl giving him a judgemental stare! Not even his own children looked at him with such contempt!

"What if I don't want to play along with this song?" she asked, turning her head towards the rest of the small group. They were adjusting their stands, wiping sweaty palms, chatting with their seatmates. Maki honestly saw herself nowhere in the little landmass of people. She preferred being outside the social ring. Being this branched off from the rest of the group never happened in her old city.

Yuji blinked and began to slowly adjust his glasses, as if he was beginning to see words coming from her mouth. They floated towards his face, before the characters popped. One by one the bits of words sunk into his head, until he blinked again. "What are you saying?" he asked, redness appearing on his cheeks. But he wasn't embarrassed or shy. Angry, furious.. the list could go on. Maki didn't care if he was insulted; the piano didn't sound right in this particular piece and she wasn't going to let him stop her from expressing it.

"I'm saying I'd rather do a solo," she answered just as strongly. Maki could feel the little glances and frowns of disapproval. It seemed they were this man's little toys when it came to music than his students.

It took him another few seconds to compose himself, but when he did he simply shook his head. "A solo?" he questioned, letting loose a breathy chuckle. Placing both hands behind his back, Yuji stepped away from the shiny grand piano Maki had yet to touch. "At your level of composition a solo should be the last thing on your mind. But if you can prove it to me I'll gladly allow it."

Maki frowned. Why was it he didn't believe she could do it? Based off year old songs? She breathed and pushed a key, the note going unheard as Yuji continued doting on the more talented students. Yumi smirked at her, the flute against her lips fogging as she played without even looking at her score sheet. Maki felt compelled to beat her.

Maybe if she envisioned Nico's face on her, she'd have the strength to smack her silly.

* * *

"Ah, if it isn't Maki-chan!" a woman called as Maki began hauling herself out of the elevator. Her fingers were sore and her wrists hurt. She had kept herself in the rehearsal room for an extra hour, simply playing what came to mind until a sliver of a song came into her mind. But at the last moment when she finally got inspiration, Yuji had walked in, announcing the night classes would be beginning.

The woman, who looked too much like Nico it was scary, waved at her. Maki was surprised how late the woman stayed to work. "I see you've worn yourself out with all that practice!" she said, patting the redhead on the shoulder. Maki didn't know what to say. She wasn't very tired, her hands were just in need of a break.

"I guess. Just staying later than usual," she said with a shrug. Koji-san had yet to answer her text that she was ready to be picked up, and Maki wanted to leave. Now she was stuck talking to some adult who reminded her of her annoying upperclassman.

The woman sighed. "Now if only Nico had the same motivation…"

Maki's eyebrows rose on their own, and before she knew it, she was opening her mouth and wanting to know more. "Motivation?"

"She's very stubborn and tried to be independent, and yet still clings to me like a child. Nothing like the kids I see here," she mused. Maki was beginning to think the woman was talking more to herself than she was to her. "I wonder if she should have continued with the piano after all..."

_Nico-chan, playing the piano…? Yeah, right. _

Smiling and turning back to the blank-faced Maki, the black-haired woman seemed to read the mood and handed her a water bottle with a soft chuckle. "Well, good luck with the rehearsals! I'll be looking forward to hearing you play." With a wink and a little hand signal, the woman was off to the next available elevator. Did she ever go home?

Maki took a sip, shuddering when a haze of ice took over her body. It felt good in comparison to the stuffy atmosphere of her rehearsal room.

Koji-san was taking longer than usual. Maki tapped her foot against the tile floor, not liking how the action echoed through the lobby. It was getting darker outside, with more adults going home from work and nightlife seeping in. She wanted to go home and sleep.

"Oh, you're the girl from the other day," a voice she barely recognized said, almost as if it was smiling. Or a smile was in it. Either way, the girl sounded happy to see Maki. But the feeling wasn't very mutual. Blonde hair tied into a tight bun and a duffel bag, Maki almost asked if the girl had the wrong person, until she met her strong blue eyes.

"You're… the Student Council President, aren't you?" Maki asked slowly, hopefully getting the label right. She took another sip of her water and watched as the blonde haired girl took a seat right next to her, setting down her duffel bag next to her feet. It landed with a loud plomp, eliciting a tiny jump from the redhead.

"Haha, sorry," she said. Suddenly, she was in stern mode again like the other day. "You're right. I'm the President. Ayase Eli. Nice to meet you."

Prompt, polite, and professional. That was how Maki could describe Eli's introduction. She took on the role of a stoic leader almost immediately, even if she was semi-covered in sweat and had just been wearing a skin tight outfit for who knows how long. It was impressive, and Maki felt a little insignificant in comparison.

"Nishikino Maki. Same here," Maki said tersely, crossing her legs. She felt her phone shift in her pocket and fished it out, opening the device to see a new text from Nico. It went unheard as she muted it.

_Hey Maki-chan! Tell me how your thingy goes!_

She snuffed and closed it, thinking over a response before she actually sent one. If she did it now she'd only sound bitter. Glancing over at Eli, Maki tilted her head at the sight of her smiling warmly at her own phone, her fingers gliding over the keyboard in a rapid manner. Not wanting to disturb her, she went back to Nico's message and clicked her tongue, wondering what she should say.

"How do I put it…" she whispered, biting on her thumb as if contemplating her life's fate. Maki could've easily just put it all out there and let Nico know everything, but knowing the older girl's personality, Nico would just explode and start going off on tangents.

"Are you okay, Nishikino-san?" Eli asked, apparently aware of the redhead's dilemma. In reality it might have looked like Maki was reading up on some horror story, if her tightly furrowed eyebrows had anything to say about it.

Sighing, Maki stuffed her phone back into her pocket and nodded. "Sorry," she quickly said, blinking when Eli tilted her head. She wanted to know - but that was embarrassing.

_Sure, like I'll tell someone that I'm not sure how to respond to some text. _

"Nishikino-san?"

"I'm fine! It's nothing, really," Maki responded quite loudly, her voice trimming to an embarrassed mumble. "Nothing important." She tapped her foot against the tile again, feeling anxious that not only was Nico texting her again, but Koji-san had yet to call or appear. Should she call her parents?

Eli stood then, a figure at the entrance making their way to their spot in the lobby. She grabbed her bag and nodded towards Maki. "It was nice seeing you again. Good luck in your rehearsals," she said before taking off, meeting the other person halfway. Maki had to squint to see her face, but she couldn't deny seeing the other person wrapping their arms around Eli's free one, leading the blonde out of the building.

She sighed and leaned back, feeling like another weight had just been propped on her shoulders. Opening up her phone to check the new text, Maki was surprised to see it was from her father and not the third year like she expected.

"_Sorry Maki, but Koji-san had to stay home for an emergency. We've already given you a Suica card so please use it to get home."_

Maki blanched, eye twitching as she reread and reread the message. Was he urging her to take the train home?! She had no idea where the station was!

Standing with rigid effort, Maki turned to the doors and hauled her binders with her, hoping she knew was she was doing.

Walking along the sidewalks of the street, and looking at all the businessmen and women going home from work was oddly calming. She was surprised nobody had come up to her to mug her, but then again it was still early enough for that stuff to not happen. Still, she was on edge, waiting for someone to pop out of the alleys to grab and drag her away.

Neon lights filled her vision, a glow of all the buildings and advertisements acting like a galaxy of rainbows. All the music coming out of the fashion stores and little cafes filled her ears, all a little jumbled mess of notes, but it wasn't as bad as Maki always made them out to be. Classical music wasn't the only kind after all.

Then, when she stopped at a crosswalk with a few other people, she saw it.

A giant billboard-sized video with a girl on it, blowing a kiss to everyone while a CD sleeve was floating next to her. Her blue hair wasn't as light as the sky, but a midnight navy that was flowing behind her. And her amber eye was half-lidded in a flirtatious way, a few of the men around her completely enamored by the sight.

Sonoda Umi was her name. The girl Nico liked to berate and call the hottest thing. Maki wasn't afraid to say she was pretty - gorgeous even. With a deep, powerful voice suitable for a grand opera theater.

_Sonoda Umi, Sonoda Umi… _

Maki wanted to know about the newest idol that made Nico rile up in jealousy.

* * *

When she stood at the train station, Suica card awkwardly pressed against the green arrow, Maki realized she had no idea where to even go, or how to get to her house. She had never taken the train - ever - so standing in the middle of all the busy people who circled her was heart pouding. And not in the good way. Not at all.

The station was clean, but smelled like gas and oil and had this general smell of _people_. It felt stuffy and hot and unsafe compared to the small confines of Koji-san's car.

Gulping, Maki side stepped towards the wall displaying all the train lines, the colored lines going all across the map and intersecting and stopping at certain points before another color took its place. She couldn't read it at all.

_How the heck do people do this all the time?_

Looking around, she found an empty bench to sit and recollect herself before stepping on a train to another part of Japan. But she had enough money to come back if she made a mistake - but not the patience. Deep down, Maki wished Koji-san had ignored whatever it was he had to do to at least pick her up, but then shook her head. If it was an emergency, she could see why he couldn't come.

Maki had to take the train home. It was the least she could do to not look like a fool.

"Ah! Look, look Kayochin!" a voice cried amongst the crowd, stopping Maki from stepping onto a train that took her wherever it was headed. Turning her head, Maki couldn't lie and say she didn't feel glad to see Rin and Hanayo, waving at her from some vending machine in the corner.

Forcing her smile down, Maki approached them, clutching her binder tighter to her chest. "Hey," she calmly greeted, although the rest of her greeting was smothered when Rin jumped on her, rubbing their cheeks together.

"It's Maki-chan! Maki-chan, nya!" she yelled, the sound of her happiness seeping through her cheeks and into Maki's chest. That feeling didn't stop her smile from forming, and she locked eyes with a giggling Hanayo who didn't seem to want to stop her friend. .

"Okay Rin-chan," Maki said, prying herself away. She didn't want to drop her music sheets, and having Rin so close to her was making her face heat up in embarrassment once she realized people were staring. "So what are you two doing here?"

Hanayo tilted her head. "Rin-chan said there was going to be a show somewhere in Shinjuku… and then we got stuck here," she said, twiddling with her thumbs.

"Yeah!" Rin added with a soft stomp to her foot, throwing her fists in the air. "It was Umi-chan! Sonoda Umi-chan too, nya!"

"Why would she perform a street show when she's a professional idol?" Maki asked, not believing it for a second. If someone as famous and big as Umi was in Shinjuku, she'd most likely find her performing in some huge venue, not just at any corner.

_Well, Nico-chan does that too. But she's not as big so…_

"In any case, we missed it," Hanayo sighed. "Saito-kun was almost about to cry when he heard it too… he sent me a message to record it and everything…"

Rin leaned over from Maki's shoulder to face Hanayo, and patted her head. "It's okay Kayochin! We'll definitely get a chance next time, nya!" she encouraged, getting a small smile from her green-haired friend. Maki could almost call them cute, like they were close sisters.

_Huh, they're more sister-like than Nico is with hers. _

Checking her phone again, Maki hadn't even noticed how quickly time was moving, and felt panic settle within her stomach. "Well, I have to go. Don't stay too late, even with no school tomorrow," she suggested, stepping away to indicate she was really leaving.

"We'll go with you, nya!"

_Oh thank god. Just what I wanted to hear. _

Maki didn't even care when Rin had leaned on her shoulder, pressing buttons and adding her phone number into her device before Hanayo. The two kept her company, and Maki could feel the cold isolation from her orchestra burning away with the warmth of her two new friends. It was comforting.

Especially when Nico texted her over and over, angry that Maki hadn't been replying at all. It made her laugh, causing the duo sitting beside her to stare at Maki like she had gone insane.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Aww Maki has friends.

See you guys when the Maki event ends~


	12. Sonoda Umi

_I GOT MY MAKI _OMG. I'm so happy. The hell is _finally_ over... T T She's so cute and _elegant_ and SR and gldjfalkgjdlkgjlk;gj.

AND I SCORED AN _UR NOZOMI_ with a random scout AHHHHH. It's Christmas themed! :D She's so adorable and has the best outfit and it hurts my heart.

This is the happiest I've ever been and it's over a mobile game. Oh my.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Eleven: Sonoda Umi**_

* * *

Nico puffed her cheeks in the mirror, slowly wiping down her nightly face mask with vigor. The bath had been ready for fifteen minutes thanks to Cocoro, although Nico had locked herself within the confines of the bathroom for almost twice as long now that she thought about it. Today she had to work at the cafe, as she did every other week.

Her mother wasn't home, of course. She had taken an extra day of work like always, and had left lunch for her siblings in the fridge. All Nico had to do was remind Cocoro about it, and they'd be fine for the day.

But unlike every other day, Nico felt something deep within her chest. Like something was off - or she forgot something. It bugged her, and it annoyed her more than anything that no matter how long she thought about it, she'd never be able to pinpoint it.

"Ugh, whatever," she sighed with a hand through her hair, turning on the shower. She'd opt for a quick shower instead of a long bath like usual. It might let her get to whatever _it_was faster. The water was warm and inviting, although it was nothing like the comfy environment of the bathtub.

Maybe she'd reward herself once she got home.

"Okay, I'm off you guys!" she called at the door, watching her siblings gather before her, tiny arms extended out to her. Nico giggled and high-fived every one of them before turning around with a fist in the air. "Nico-Nico-Nii!"

"Nico-Nico-Nii!"

She smiled once more before leaving the apartment, checking the time before she hurried to the elevator. It didn't matter if she was going to be over thirty minutes early; that only meant more customers for herself.

It wasn't long to the station that led to Akiba, especially since there wasn't much traffic out yet. Sundays were always packed with cars and people. Everywhere. Nico had memorized every alley, street and shortcut so she could just to avoid it, but still managed to bump into a few crowds on occasion.

On her way to the crosswalk just across the station, Nico had bit her lip when her heart pounded, as if it already knew what was going to meet her once she walked inside. It bothered her since she couldn't find anything about the day that would require _any_ nervous feelings.

_Maybe I left the water running at home or something, that's all. _

Which didn't help soothe her thoughts. They tumbled down like an avalanche, escalating to greater dangers, like her siblings being caught during a break-in. Or her mother getting struck by lightning.

"No no no no," she repeated, shaking her head alongside her mantra. The people around her slowly widened the space between them, leaving her standing alone on the sidewalk with wide crimson orbs watching horrid images flash before her eyes.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped with a loud screech, her duffel bag shielding her face from whoever it was behind her. The other person took a step back, their hands going in the air like they had been faced with a gun.

"I-I'm sorry!" they apologized, bowing at a perfect angle while Nico recomposed herself, slowly lowering her bag, long strands of navy blue locks coming into view with every centimeter. Almost immediately Nico's eye twitched at the hazy illusion of her rival. It was a rivalry within her head, at least.

Nico shook her head and averted her gaze, trying to glare at the toothpaste advertisement while the other girl stood straight, a posture so good it was almost scary. She could barely catch a pair of amber eyes, before a hand reached out to reveal a device Nico could call her second life-line.

"It dropped out of your bag as you were walking in," the girl said, her mere presence making Nico's knees shake. "You're lucky I found it before someone stole it."

Because in the flesh, right before her eyes with a charming smile so soft it was almost childlike, was Sonoda Umi. A shaky, tiny palm slid towards her phone, while Umi watched before releasing her grip on the phone. Pigtails were wobbling in place and Nico could swear her mouth was opening and closing in various patterns, which must have made her look stupid before such a big idol.

Umi looked around awkwardly, grabbing her free arm to keep her hands busy as Nico gawked at her, completely speech and thoughtless, if she judged the blank look of those red eyes. "Well, I should get going," she began, stepping to the side to swerve around the shorter girl. She bowed lightly again. "Take care of your things next time, I'm not sure people will be so kind to give it back."

And then she was off, hopping onto the next train and headed towards wherever. All Nico could do was lean against the wall, trying to remember how to breathe.

_That… that charm! That smile…! How does she do it…?!_

Stomping her feet, Nico easily forgot about everything she had been thinking previously, her mind filling up on nothing but one of her favorite idols. Nobody sat next to the girl with the intense red eyes on the train.

Even as Nico got to Akihabara, she walked with a purpose, ignoring the billboards and ads of late night cartoons, ignoring the music of the latest hits. She ignored it all, coming up with a plan that would land her a spot at the top. Well, the first step towards it anyway.

"Hey, you're early Nico-chan!" one of her managers said happily, bowing to her customer before walking towards her small employee. Nico looked around at the semi-empty cafe, watching as men and women hurried on by, faces plastered to their phones.

"Yeah, I had nothing to do so I decided to come by a little earlier today," Nico responded half-heartedly with a wave of her hand. "I'll get ready in the back."

Today, she was going to try something a _little_ different.

The bells rang in a spotty manner, orders slowly came in and Nico had just finished putting on the last of her outfit when a little knock at the changing room stole her attention. Her manager, wearing a dark red wig and matching red contacts, smirked at her.

"Wow, I knew maids were popular but somebody actually _requested_ you at their table," she said with a chuckle, confusing Nico as she walked off, fixing the faux locks of hair in her face.

_The heck? _

"The heck…" she muttered as she walked out, blinking when she saw a head of red hair staring out the rather large windows at the other end of the cafe. Nico's eyes widened and she coughed into her palm, shaking her head and slapping her cheeks over and over to get into character. "I got this! Roleplay isn't something foreign to idols…!"

After another bout of word vomit to herself, Nico made her way towards the younger girl who still had no idea there were other things to look at. Though she didn't blame her - the sight of the plain white business offices across the street were extraordinary.

"Hello, Mistress. I would be honored to take your order today," she began, sliding on her heels to smoothly stand next to Maki. In turn, her customer bit her lip and jolted to the side, eyes widening as if she hadn't realized where she was.

"N-Nico-chan…!" she whispered, holding a palm to her chest. Nico took notice of the golden necklace kissing her chest, and the rather elegant outfit she wore. Floral print blouse, a brown cardigan, and a pink skirt. Maki looked cute.

Bowing, Nico pressed her own hand into her chest, locking eyes with easily embarrassed violet ones. "Thank you for referring to me by name. If I may say, Mistress, your choice in maids today has been exquisite. I am Yazawa Nico - and I will do my best to provide -"

Maki, as flustered and shocked as she had been, quickly became bored and very impatient with Nico's long introduction. She leaned forward just a bit, tilting her head. "Why are you talking so weird today?" she asked rather bluntly. Nico had to step back from the harsh bite.

Shaking off her surprise, Nico coughed into her palm, trying not to let the heat of her embarrassment ruin her moment. "I am sorry, Mistress, for I haven't had a chance to tell you. Today we are offering a butler-like experience to appeal to our female audience."

"No we're not," her manager snuck in as she walked by, a trayful of parfaits in her hand. Nico stomped her right foot and wailed in annoyance, puffing out her cheeks as Maki laughed into her hand, doing a very bad job at masking her enjoyment.

"Mou!" Nico yelled, crossing her arms. "Fine, I'll stop."

Maki shook her head. "Don't stop on my account. Your_ Mistress _allows you to speak as you wish," she teased, rolling her hand to indicate for Nico to continue. Instead, the older girl turned on her heels and pouted in another direction. "Okay, okay Nico-chan. Don't embarrass yourself in front of other customers. Unless you want your image of _Nico-Nico_ to be ruined."

"It's _Nico Nico Nii_," Nico responded with a frown, turning to glare at the hard violet stare sent right back at her tenfold. "O-okay, so. What did you want?"

Almost immediately. "You didn't reply to my question last night."

"H-huh?!" Nico jerked back and stared down at Maki like she had grown six more eyes, even taking a step back to get a fuller look of her. In response, Maki smothered her face with her menu, only letting slivered glances go past it. "Your question…"

Maki nodded, her fluffy red hair moving in rhythm with her. She had to know what kind of shampoo Maki used…

"I asked you if you were… busy, later… after work," Maki grumbled, turning her gaze to the outside again. Nico followed it again - yep, the business offices sure were amazing to look at - until the suggestion tipped an alarm in her head.

"Erm, um… th-that's a little straightforward, don't you think?" Nico asked, fidgeting with her fingers. She hunched her shoulders and leaned her body back and forth. "B-But if it's for my Mistress, I'll gladly go anywhere…" A tiny flush of her cheeks, a tilt of her head, and an index finger to her chin and Nico could have sent people to the hospital due to heart palpitations.

Biting her lip and forming a fist she desperately wanted to smash into Nico's face, Maki couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm and her mouth go dry. Nico was a great actor, for an amateur anyway. And even though she was acting, it sounded so genuine Maki didn't know how to respond. Should she go along with it?

Instead, she smacked the girl on the shoulder with her menu. "Don't make fun of me!" she protested weakly, not wanting to scream and disrupt the cafe. Nico responded by frowning, the tiny flowers and red hue surrounding her disappearing to reveal the nasty nature lurking within such a sweet exterior.

They stayed still, simply glaring at each other in silence. It wasn't until Nico's manager passed by again, dishes on her tray empty save for a plate of melted caramel - that she bumped her hip against Nico's backside, forcing her to tumble forward and scream in fear. Even as Maki's hands gripped her shoulders and Nico could feel her hot breath on her neck, she still felt like she was in danger. So she clung to the younger girl for dear life, hearing the faint sounds of laughter coming from the back area.

Gulping in shock, Nico was about to chide her coworkers when she felt heavy breathing, and saw a deathly red tip of Maki's ear poking through her hair that she froze. And smirked, knowing the few patrons of the cafe and those gazing inside would love to see a tiny show.

Wiggling in place just a bit until she could freely move, Nico put a hand to her mouth and blushed. Nico could clearly see the men sitting at their little tables curiously glancing back to them when they realized the girls hadn't parted yet. "M-Mistress! I'm… I don't think this is an appropriate place for…!"

She was shoved backwards before she could even finish, Maki crossing her arms and looking like she had just eaten the world's hottest pepper. Violet eyes, usually exuding an aura of calm and logic, suddenly filled with embarrassment and anger, while Nico could only laugh to herself.

"Forget it," Maki deflated, almost openly pouting as she turned back to her menu. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, ignoring Nico's presence as if she had shut out everything around her. The blush was still hot on her face however, which made it obvious she hadn't gotten over it. For a split second, Nico wanted to apologize had it not been for the hand grabbing hers and pulling her towards the entrance. Her manager, still fixing her wig in some places, gave her a knowing look.

"Time for work - play later!" she smiled. Nico simply sighed and slapped her cheeks, regaining her chipper attitude as the bells rang, indicating a customer had walked in.

"Welcome home, Master!" she sang, nearly tilting her body fully at the person in front of her. Bowing, she handed the person their menu. "You may sit where you'd like, and just let me know when you're ready to order, okay Master?"

"U-uh… yes…" they responded half-heartedly, almost like they were scared. A tiny giggle, repressed by a shift in fabric made Nico open her eyes, and she could have sworn she was ready to swallow her fist.

In front of her stood a modestly dressed blonde, fit to be a model and tall enough to literally stare at the top of Nico's head, next to a girl with a long head of purple hair - a color she knew well enough. Nico could feel her eyelid twitching on instinct, and it wouldn't stop.

"Why hello there, Nicocchi," Nozomi waved with a lean of her body, her hair overlapping her shoulders today. Feeling a cold sweat taking over, Nico robotically hummed and looked away, hoping Maki couldn't see her frozen state, if she was even looking her way that was. "Nicocchi?"

Eli reached over to poke the middle of Nico's forehead, and lunged forward when the shorter girl began to fall backwards. "N-Nozomi…!" she whispered, arms shaking as Nico had yet to regain composure. Their friend laughed to herself and grabbed Nico's elbow to ease her into a standing position, stepping away when Nico blinked once.

The smile on her face, Nico could tell, wasn't a good one. Like she had known something Nico didn't. "Why don't we go sit over there, Elicchi?" she suggested, ignoring Nico's glare. Nozomi was a jack-in-the-box; Nico was sure she was up to something today, especially when she had pointed directly at Maki's table.

"Oh," Eli responded, easily being pulled by the fortune teller. It was like the moment Nozomi touched something, they were enchanted. Well, maybe it was just Eli's obvious bias but Nico wouldn't put it past Nozomi to have the powers of a witch. She watched them ease into their seats in front of Maki, scaring the girl before Eli began speaking, putting a light smile on her face. Before long, Maki was smiling and talking normally too. No frowns, stutters, jitters or insults.

It bothered Nico.

"Ah, I thought I saw you when we walked by," Nozomi smiled, leaning on her hands as she gazed at Maki. The younger girl played with her menu, having long since ordered a strawberry lemonade, and shyly glanced at the two older girls in front of her. She knew Eli - at least, her name and face. The other girl, Nozomi, was a huge mystery to her. "You were talking to Elicchi at the concert hall?"

_I couldn't even make out this person's face and she could see mine. That's awkward._

She nodded and hummed, trying to think of something to respond to that with. "Yeah, and.. you were the one who picked her up, right?"

Nozomi shook her head, a very fast flash of her eyes turning to Eli, who was busy humming along to some electro music. She looked like a happy child, content with being in her own bubble. "No, but I remember her having to tell you to quiet down your piano. You must love it."

Maki smiled, tracing the pattern of some hearts on the menu. "Not at _that_ time. I'm pretty sure you heard what I was playing," she chuckled, shaking her head. In the corner of her eye she saw Nico leaning down to stir some man's coffee, the soft smile of the older girl somehow able to erase the embarrassment she had caused Maki.

She knew there was a no touching rule he broke by lightly touching her hand, and Nico had made no efforts to remove it. As she turned to tend to another table, Maki's vision was blocked by another maid placing her drink down in front of her. "Oh," the girl said, taking out her pen and paper out as she looked at Nozomi and Eli. "I didn't know Mistress had company - please, allow me to take your order."

_Wow, what a difference from the erratic Nico to this… other maid._

Maki looked around the cafe for the twin-tailed girl, but saw she had disappeared. The bells rang again, and another maid tended to the girl at the door, gently taking off her beret as she sought somebody out. Her eyes widened just a bit, and suddenly all Maki could see was Eli being engulfed in a hug, the blonde's face going within the newcomer's vest as arms wrapped around each other.

"I didn't think you'd actually come," Eli smiled after they parted, watching as the girl circled the table for the next available seat. Maki nodded when she motioned to it, bowing in appreciation. Maki felt like she knew who this was, she had seen that face multiple times, on the internet and social media feed…

"I managed to sneak in a little time from my managers. Sorry if I'm intruding on anything today," she apologized, specifically to Maki, though she motioned to Nozomi as well. "I'm Sonoda Umi. Pleased to meet you."

Immediately, Maki's hand jerked on its own and hit her cup, although the fateful fall was caught by a swift hand, Eli sighing in relief. A tiny chuckle came out of Umi's mouth before Maki spoke up. "N-Nishikino Maki! It's almost unreal to meet an actual idol _here_, of all places." She looked around - this wasn't somewhere a person with a huge career in music would frequent. Or even consider coming to.

"Eh," Umi responded with a nod. "A maid cafe is the last place I'd come to have dessert. I actually go to a family shop for those." She briefly blinked in the direction of the flat screen, displaying that same ad Maki had seen a few nights ago, amber eyes softening. Seeing Umi up close, Maki knew the ad would never do her beauty justice. She wasn't doll-like or... whatever it was Nico demonstrated; it was a mature sort of beauty. "I still can't believe it myself, to be honest."

Eli shook her head, clearly carrying a different opinion. "But you've done so well! And I definitely wouldn't have improved my ballet if it hadn't been for you…" They began to go off into their own conversation, Eli's bubble morphing to include the idol sitting in front of her. Maki didn't know whether to jump into the conversation or sit back and listen - it was almost like their words weren't loose enough to the point she could intervene. Maki didn't have the courage to step in if she didn't have to, and she was sure she didn't want to either.

Maki could see the small smile on Nozomi's face wavering as the conversation went on. Maki could see the slight drop in comfort. She didn't know Nozomi enough to automatically assume anything, but before she could slip a question of half-hearted worry, they heard a string of glass shattering in the back.

"_Nico!?"_

Panic settled within Maki for no reason, and she was sure she didn't like it.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Ohh Umi's in the picture now~ I heard_ she _was Eli's best friend originally, before they switched her with Nozomi (which I'm okay with) so I decided, why not let her be close friends with Eli too?

Poor Nozomi. :( I felt so, so bad making her feel left out for that _single_ paragraph. But it won't last long. Sad Nozomi is not my kind of Nozomi and I don't enjoy writing it.

I'll update soon, I promise. Unless SIF gets in my way.


	13. Koji-san's Intervention

_**A/N:**_

_**MNiconiconii**_: Muchas gracias por el comentario! Estoy trabajando duro para ustedes! :)

_**Truna**_: I am going to pair Umi with someone, absolutely. People might not be happy with the process, but Nozomi will eventually find happiness too.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Twelve: Koji-san's Intervention**_

* * *

"Is she alright?" Umi asked, crouched before a fallen Nico and steadily poking at her twitching form. "How careless, carrying such a load..."

Scattered about the floor were a million shards of glass; each too tiny to see with the naked eye, but visible underneath the light like a fallen galaxy. Nico happened to be stuck underneath a handful of plates - the only ones left unscathed from her sudden panic attack.

Nozomi leaned over her frail body, a finger pressed into her chin. "Looks like Nicocchi is out like a light," she commented with a chuckle. Beside her, Eli watched in horror at the sight of Nico's eyes shut tightly, like she was keeping them forcefully shut. She didn't know whether it was on purpose, or if her face had frozen in that state.

Eli clutched at Umi's shoulder tightly, waiting for the moment Nico ended her prank and jumped at them. Even her lips were shaking. A little detail very obvious to her purple haired companion; Nozomi, in turn, let her palm rest against her shoulder blades in an effort to shake Eli of her current fear. It didn't seem to work.

Maki lightly shoved her way through the tiny group of maids, each looking more offended as she walked by - until she reached Nico's manager, who had finally tossed away her hideous wig in favor of looking over her fallen employee. Her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Well, she doesn't look like she'll wake anytime soon," she said, chewing on her nail. "This isn't good… can anybody take her home? I would but I gotta manage the store," she explained, looking up at the circle of faces, all contorting into ones of confusion. Maki seemed to be the only one not paying attention to anything being said - her eyes hadn't left the other girl's face in minutes.

Umi raised her hand and locked eyes with the manager, keeping her hand firmly against Nico's arm. "I'm not sure why this happened," she began, "But as a customer I will gladly stay to assist in the loss of your employee."

The older woman nearly heaved an intake of air at the suggestion, falling to her palms dramatically. "S-Sonoda-san..! You couldn't possibly…!"

A look of instant regret flashed on Umi's face before she shook it off, a wavering smile replacing it. She said nothing, but stood and had Eli assist in hoisting Nico into their arms; an action so quick it was like holding a pillow. Nozomi hovered to the side, making sure they didn't drop her in the process of setting her into a booth. Maki joined them and stayed in the seat across from her, looking around in case people stuck around to watch.

"You idiot," she stated at the resting Nico, whose cheek was sliding down the wall as her body limply fell to the side. Maki was glad they didn't have a window seat. Just looking at her was embarrassing.

She took out her phone to dial her parent's number when she bit her lip, hoping Koji-san had time to at least take a call. He hadn't spoken to them the whole weekend, which worried Maki on the state of his family emergency.

"A-ah!" he yelled into the receiver, scaring a shout out of Maki's mouth. Other patrons of the maid cafe, including the sweeping Umi, stared at her, even after she waved it off with a nervous chuckle.

"K-Koji-san…?" she began, the rustling and loud smacks coming out of the receiver a little scary.

Soon enough she heard him clearing his throat and the noise stopped. "I'm sorry about making you worry, Maki-chan!"

_Maki-chan?_

She grumbled under her breath, but kept it low enough where he couldn't hear it. In the end, it's not like he left work on purpose. Maki sighed and shook her head, "No, it's okay Koji-san. I can take the trains now, so it's no big deal."

Well, she could take the single train she knew to Akihabara because it was the easiest one to remember. But he didn't need to know that, did he?

"Wow!" he shouted in happiness, "I'm surprised. You never liked the idea of trains." She could hear the smile on his face, like he was speaking to his daughter. Maki licked her lips and watched as Nico's mouth moved on its own, as she was now in a deep sleep rather than in an unconscious state. That was good. She'd wake up soon then.

"I still don't really like them," she said absentmindedly as her eyes traced the little frills on Nico's outfit. She'd never say it out loud but Nico looked cute in her maid uniform. "But I don't think I can take them carrying someone who's sleeping."

Koji-san made a sound in his throat, and Maki's chest pulsed, hoping he wouldn't reject her suggestion. "Are… you okay?" he asked slowly. She smiled and ran a hand through her hair, blinking and averting her gaze to the group of maids surrounding Umi, holding up dresses for her to judge. Eli stood watching in amusement, holding her hand to her lips as Umi awkwardly rejected dresses and held others between her fingers.

"I'm fine, but my… _friend_, isn't," she said, tapping her nails on the table. Her tea was left half finished - and suddenly the thought of it made a thirst rise in her throat. She took a sip as Koji-san hummed to himself, thinking.

"I will gladly escort her home if that is what you're asking."

An abundance of laughter.

"I'm in that maid cafe from last time," was all she said before cutting the call, looking up to see Eli and Umi chuckling at the sight of the idol wearing a fairly tight costume, but it was enough to pass as her uniform. Her eyes switched to the silent Nozomi - who had a tiny, almost forced smile on her face, watching the two girls pat the frills and lace down with occasional banter.

Eventually, her eyes caught onto Maki's, and Nozomi took one step closer to Eli with a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from her light teasing of Umi's headband to turn to her. They exchanged words, with the blonde president's lips forming a thin line, whereas Nozomi's stayed frozen in a smile.

"Gotta go to work," she quietly told her friend with a small squeeze of her hand.

Maki wanted to ask about the sudden rush in departure, but the words died on her tongue just as quick as the happy shine of those emerald eyes as she turned around. Eli expressed confusion, her lips lowering into a frown, then lifting when Nozomi said something to her, turning her jade-colored gaze to Umi with a knowing look on her face. The poor idol had been ambushed by customers the moment they walked in and found her alone, and the only person she could hope to save her was her friend. Eli happened to be that friend.

It was hard to tell whether Eli was happy with whatever Nozomi told her, or if she had been persuaded. But the look on her face was everything but negative.

When she passed the table, Nozomi took a second to wave, and Maki had to suppress the shudders running down her arms. Like the action had sent an electric shock straight into her chest. Even as Nozomi left the building, twintails fluttering after her, Maki could feel a cold chill.

She shrugged it off with a rough shake of her head, turning to Nico who was still completely out.

_How is she asleep during this? _Why_ is she still asleep?_

When was Koji-san getting there?

"You're making me feel like a bug is on my face," the ruby-eyed maid said quietly, opening up said ruby orbs just as Maki began to glower in thought. "Maki-chan?"

"You pretended to be asleep, didn't you? You little liar," she said lowly. So low her voice was a mere rumble, causing Nico to lean closer. Maki gave her a half-lidded stare, unfazed by the tiny shakes of Nico's shoulders.

Nico laughed to herself and shook her head. "No way! It was totally legit!" she defended with a shaky breath. "She… you just surprised me is all."

"Me. Why?" Maki asked, twirling her straw in her glass. The ice had long melted, but she found it taste better that way. Nico had yet to answer, and Maki pursed her lips at the blank glaze clouding Nico's usually upbeat nature. It was odd.

_I don't get her. _

"Because I freeze up and can't talk when I'm around her," Nico pouted, "And yet you were sitting next to her like she was just…."

Maki chewed on the tip of her straw, somehow seeing where this conversation was going. "A friend? Well I didn't really expect anybody to sit with me here. She sort of invited herself," Maki shrugged, letting the straw go from its torture. The mangled tip, flattened beyond comprehension, gently slid across the rim of the glass before stopping, pointing directly at Nico.

"You don't get it!" Nico suddenly argued rather loudly, eliciting a small jump from the girl across from her. "How are you so… _calm_ about being around famous people? Talented people? Why are you the one so…" She shook her head and stood, albeit a bit wobbly. Eli was sitting at her own table now, with Umi tending to her order with a charming smile that seemed to work with her well. Nico's attempt was hilariously bad.

Maki followed her to the door of the dressing room, Nico holding onto the doorframe tightly. "I get so nervous just looking at an idol I end up passing out. That's so _embarrassing_," she hissed to herself. She looked over her shoulder to the still passive-faced Maki, giving her a stare that clearly showed Maki wasn't understanding what Nico was on about.

She sighed and placed a hand on her hip, seemingly cooled down. "Well, I'll just have to work harder on beating her, if I want to be the Number One Idol…"

"_Why_ do you want that?" Maki asked. Nico froze and turned her head over her shoulder, single red eye widened; as if she hadn't expected Maki to even ask. There was an odd silence, with Maki staring at Nico with furrowed eyebrows, expecting an answer, and Nico wondering what she should even say.

Before Maki could say one more thing to harm Nico's pride, the bells rang and Umi was already there, eagerly awaiting the man walking in. He wasn't wearing his uniform; his shirt was on backwards, with his hat inside out. "Welcome back, Master…!" Umi said, putting on the innocently shy act on for him. "I-it's a table for one, then…?"

"Ah," Koji-san laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm actually here to just pick someone up…" he trailed off, looking around to find Maki at a table. Umi gestured to the inside of the restaurant and allowed him inside, bowing lightly to him as he passed.

Maki stopped Nico from continuing by keeping a grip on her dress. Not enough to hurt the fabric, but it did enough to keep Nico in place. "You're always going on about idols this, singing that. Why? Why do you want that so bad, Nico-chan?" she asked, genuinely interested. Maybe her way of going about it was wrong, considering Nico wasn't saying a thing, but she _wanted_ an answer.

Before long, a strong hand caught hers, releasing her grip on the dress and freeing Nico from the weak hold. Maki looked to the side to see Koji-san smiling at her, a little bead of sweat on his temple. "Now now, you should know pulling on a woman's dress isn't very polite," he said, making Maki blush in anger.

"I-I wasn't really…"

Nico shut her eyes, trying to will herself to step forward. Instead, she breathed out a laugh and turned around, smiling widely at the two. "Yeah, Maki-chan! How rude, trying to ruin my work uniform of all things!" she said, blinking away the spinny stars filling her vision. Nico stepped forward and wobbled just enough that Koji-san put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her.

"So this is the friend you called about, huh?" he asked the redhead, who was still fixated on the embarrassing scolding she had received from the two. Nico smiled; so Maki had called this man.

Maki turned her head. "She seems fine now, we can leave her." She ignored the pointed looks coming from the maids and other customers. It was like they were watching some drama, and it _irked_ her. She hated this kind of attention. "Koji-san, can we leave?"

Koji-san hummed, pushing Nico to her side. "Yes, but not unless you're friend is going with us," he suggested, ignoring Maki's sigh of annoyance. Nico smiled and nodded, clutching tightly at Maki's stiff arm. "Wow, Maki-chan, is this your boyfriend?" she teased, sensing Maki's body shut down and tense all at the same time. She giggled and peeled herself, heading towards the dressing room.

"But I have to change first! Don't you leave without me, old man!" she yelled, shakily running towards the room. Koji-san bowed to Umi, the idol smiling and offering a thankful farewell to the two as Maki was ushered out. She could see the faint look Eli was giving her - or Umi - and it was a little uncomfortable.

The tiny car was parked in the corner of the street, and Koji-san opened the door for Maki to slid in before himself. Engine running, he simply tapped his fingertips against the steering wheel, as if he indicated he was waiting on something.

"I didn't expect you to be the clingy type," he smiled. Maki blushed, pushing the button to lift the wall on instinct alone. "H-Hey! Aww no fair!" he yelled, although did nothing to lower it. Maki crossed her arms and legs, closing her eyes to ignore the rapid thumps in her chest.

Nico pressed her palms against the lockers, taking steady breaths. Her lips shuddered and her tongue had gone dry from trying to calm them. Even biting it did nothing. Blinking, Nico shook her head and tossed her dress aside, the useless uniform floating down into a pathetic puddle.

_Why _was she so focused on being an idol? Nico could state the obvious - to live out her father's dream of course. It was only logical to do so.

And she loved idols, there was another reason. But did she need a specific reason? One that would make sense, or reflect her feelings on the matter?

She scrunched her lips and shook her head. "I don't need to prove anything to _Maki-chan_," she told herself, throwing on her clothes and grabbing her things. Nico knew her manager wouldn't mind her leaving early. After all, she had just gotten them a huge employee for the day; Sonoda Umi.

Speaking of her…

"I'm terribly sorry for making you do this," Nico said, bowing lowly in front of the calm maid before her. Umi shook her hands in the air, obviously uncomfortable with Nico's sudden actions.

"Ah, no no, I'm glad to be able to help out in your stead," Umi said, bowing in return once Nico stood straight. Strong amber eyes, full of experience Nico didn't have, gave her a shiny reflection of hope. That she had nothing to worry about. "Please get well soon, Yazawa-san."

And then the heart attacks started again. Nico darted out of the maid cafe before she started throwing up on Umi's rental shoes.

_She said my name…!_

"G-Geez what took so long?" Maki asked, sliding across to the other seat when Nico opened the back door. The third year looked at the black wall covering Koji-san's deflated form, and gave Maki a confuse stare. "Just get in already!"

Nico rolled her eyes and tossed in her things before sitting down on the plush black seat, whistling at the comfort level. "Wow Maki-chan. You've got it all, don't you?" she asked, not seeing the small frown taking over the annoyed grimace on Maki's face.

"I-I guess," she mumbled, taking a strand of hair in boredom as the care began moving. "Maybe everything but a maid outfit, I'm sure," she shot, smirking when Nico's pigtails bristled.

Koji-san remained quiet for the beginning of the ride, but once he started talking - voice still slightly muffled, Maki knew this car ride was one of her biggest mistakes.

"So, Maki-chan's friend," he began, stealing Nico's angry attention from the other teen. "What's your name?"

Nico's chest puffed out. "Yazawa Nico! I'm a third year at Otonokizaka, and the cutest one at that!"

"Oh really? Wow, Maki-chan made friends with the cutest third year!" Koji-san gushed, sounding too excited for such a false fact. Maki tucked into herself and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to refrain from saying anything too harsh. Koji-san would probably be put off by her comments, and then her parents would find out.

And then… well, they wouldn't punish her - they didn't have enough time to really do that anyway. Still, the thought of it didn't make her feel good. She opted for looking at her phone, with a single missed call from Koji-san just a few minutes before he entered the cafe. There were no other notifications. Maki sighed and closed it, stuffing it back into her pocket. The light conversation between Nico and Koji-san went unheard, but she could see the smile on Nico's face was almost as fake as the one she gave her audiences.

The fact she would smile like that around Koji-san made Maki angry. "Stop," she said suddenly, the car going silent at the sound of her voice. Nico turned her head towards Maki, a flash of annoyance in her eyes before Maki frowned in her direction. "Don't talk to Koji-san like that… he's not like your customers."

"Maki-chan…" the driver sniveled, his voice still muffled. He made a loud choking sob come out of his throat before turning the corner, entering a street that was just lined with apartments and an occasional convenience store. Nico looked out the window and proceeded to glare at Maki through her reflection.

"You actually think hearing about his _laundry day_ is fun?" she asked quietly, pressing her palm into her seat, adjusting herself and raising an eyebrow at Maki. The redhead sputtered even quieter and shook her head, throwing a hand into her hair to fix it. "Wow Maki. Is he really your boyfriend? He seems your type," the older girl teased.

"Sh-shut up," Maki spat, trying to ignore the fire spreading across her face. Truthfully she never listened to him talk anyway - at most it was Koji-san speaking to himself and Maki in her own world. But it was a comfortable type of environment, unlike having a certain maid's presence constantly making fun of her. Ignoring Nico was almost unacceptable.

Nico shrugged with a smug grin. "Well, if you're into _that _-"

"I-I'm not into him!" Maki yelled, as if the mere insinuation caused something to snap inside her. She breathed through her nose and kept quiet, knowing Koji-san clearly heard her. "I'm not…"

A small chuckle from Koji-san drifted to the back, slipping past Nico's shocked state and causing her to begin laughing as well, before Maki felt a tiny smile forming on her lips. Why had she gotten so angry at that? She knew Koji-san was married - that was all that mattered.

"Okay, you can stop right here," Nico said as they pulled up to a decent apartment complex. Koji-san drifted to a smooth stop, right before the entrance to the building. Maki watched as she grabbed her bags and jumped when Koji-san opened the door for her, grabbing her hand and aiding her outside.

"Maki-chan, I think it'd be safe for your friend if you helped her to her apartment," he whispered to her, Nico already beginning her trek home. Maki bit her lip and gave him a pleading look, to which he responded with one just as strong. Sighing, she allowed him to help her out, and she gave him a frown before following the older girl, watching her petite back stay ramrod straight through the lobby until she entered the elevator, yelling in fear when she saw Maki standing in front of her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stepping aside for the younger girl to enter. Maki huffed and looked away, not bothering to explain herself. Nico sniffled and dabbed at her dry face. "Daddy making you walk me home? How sweet!"

Maki flinched and glared at her, not fazed when Nico reciprocated the action. "He's not my dad," she said quickly. "That's my driver, Koji-san."

"Huh," Nico replied, keeping her eyes on the metal door. Eventually, it stopped and they stepped out, Maki only barely noticing how Nico hadn't tied her hair up like she usually did. Long black tresses caressed her back and framed her face, giving her a _real_ third year look she usually didn't have on a regular day. Maki's heart skipped a beat, and she held a palm to her chest to make sure she wasn't catching Nico's panic attacks.

The door they stood before was locked until Nico knocked a certain number of times, and Maki stood back, silently watching her. Before the stampede of footsteps surrounded the door from the inside, Nico turned to her with a smile.

"Thanks for today," she said, Maki's eyes going wide at the sight. Nico looked older, more mature - and for some reason it made her blush.

"Y-yeah, whatever. Don't make me do this again!" she loudly declared, concluding that Nico was fine now and stomping away from her. The feeling in her chest wasn't going away, especially when she turned in the elevator to see multiple faces looking at her with wide smiles. She recognized one as Cocoa, but the other two were new. Nico waved at her and prompted them to do the same, the only boy among them looking confused at the sight of someone new.

Again, she blushed. And she could only limply lift a hand to wave at them as the doors slid closed, the only thing imprinted in her mind was the charming little smirk Nico gave her before they were separated. Maki pressed her back into the wall of the elevator, gulping down the growing embarrassment and trying desperately to ignore the itch on her chest.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

As she approached the car, eyes closed and with a pace so quick Koji-san nearly hit her as he opened the door, Maki kept her cool and bit her tongue to avoid lashing out at anyone who spoke to her. Almost as if she had told him directly, Koji-san simply closed her door and went to the driver's seat, the black wall still up and keeping Maki's shielded face from view. He smiled and started the engine, the sleek black vehicle calmly continuing its way down the road and towards Maki's house.

But oh if she didn't look so flustered! Koji-san chuckled, knowing the questions would need to come later - knowing Maki, she'd shut him out immediately and never want him to bring it up. But the questions were there, and he wanted to know about this particular friend of Maki's that seemed to bring out every emotion she stuffed away. She was a funny girl, Yazawa Nico.

But an incredible one at that, if she managed to break down the layered barriers surrounding Maki.

Meanwhile, Maki covered her still beet red face and looked to the ground in horror, pressing her knees together while her toes wiggled about. The not-so queasy feeling in her stomach rose and fell with each bump they hit, and Maki wasn't sure if she was going to throw up or squeal like a schoolgirl. All she could see every time she closed her eyes was the older, calm-looking and _cute_ Nico she had seen just minutes ago. If she hadn't been so focused on calming herself, she would have called the feeling disgusting -_ Nico_ was disgusting.

_I don't get her, I don't get her, I don't get her…!_

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Wow, this one was actually very tough to write over the past week. The beginning gave me trouble, mostly. And then I just buckled down and got it going and it took me three hours to finish.

The other characters are slowly going to start actually being relevant this next chapter. Mainly Rin and Hanayo for Maki, and Umi for Nico. :) The others will come, but not for a while. I like this slow pace!

That said, I've decided to extend the story from my original 15 chapters (because eff limits), and the story will end when it ends. Even if it takes 30 chapters. So yaaay.


	14. Morning Conversation

Short romantic "filler"~

Because the next chapter wouldn't make sense without it. I realized that when I got like… 2k words in.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Thirteen: Morning Conversation**_

* * *

Maki awoke to the sound of her loud, annoying little alarm clock her mom had secretly stashed away in her room, bleary violet eyes trying to focus on the red numbers displayed on the screen. The noise, a loud rumble of static and miscellaneous voices from numerous stations drove her body from the confines of her bed just enough to shut it off. As the silence seeped in again, and the knowledge that it went off two hours too early registered in her mind, Maki's body fell limp against the mattress once again.

A warmth surrounded her body, and she blinked, watching as her window allowed slivers of light to spread across her ruffled blankets. She gulped down the bitter morning taste in her mouth, not wanting to go into the bathroom yet, and shuddered at the slimy goo covering her teeth. Maki hated her mouth-breathing habit.

Her phone lit up then, although it made no noise as it was on silent. Maki still reached for it, wondering what it was. The bright light from the device nearly blinded her, and Maki dropped her phone into her blankets as she rubbed her sore eyes, stars and vivid shapes engulfing her vision.

_Mornings suck. _

She searched for it, tearing her blankets apart to find it resting against her left thigh, and huffed as she snatched it, the message already opened for her. Her eyes flickered to the sender's name and she smiled, almost too wide.

_Morning Maki-chan. :)_

It wasn't odd that Nico texted her in the morning, and it wasn't like they had never said good morning before. But for some reason, Maki knew she had been _too happy_ to read it. Especially since it was just a plain good morning message.

Laying on her side, Maki began typing her response, occasionally deleting something before hitting the middle button.

_Hi Nico-chan._

Closing her phone, Maki sighed and pushed her head further into her pillow, frowning. She had just been annoyed by the fact that mornings existed, and suddenly she was happy to get a morning text from Nico.

Nico, who was disgustingly cute just the day before despite being a pain at the cafe. Maki hummed under her breath and threw her blankets over her head, the illumination of her phone brightening up the small cocoon. Nico was a fast texter when she wanted to be.

_Wow, it's not even six a.m and you're already so grumpy. _

Maki blushed, imagining Nico in the same state - laying in bed, simply basking in warmth while she texted her. It made her heart pump even harder, and a painful twist in her stomach made her lay on her back, her finger accidentally brushing the 'call' button.

"So what's up grumpy?" Nico teased rather calmly, Maki close to throwing her phone away from the sudden sound of her voice. "Hello?"

Composing herself, even to the point of brushing her hair, Maki cleared her throat and pressed her phone onto her ear. "Sorry. I didn't mean to call you," she said, trying her best to sound like it didn't matter. But it did. Maki had morning breath and her hair was a mess and -

And she was laying in bed. Still in pajamas. Blinking, she nearly slapped herself for thinking such stupid thoughts.

"Well, I could always hang up. I do have a lunch to make after all," Nico calmly retorted. Maki figured she was avoiding being loud for the sake of it being early morning.

"You make your own lunch?" she asked, genuinely curious. Nico's lunches were always very colorful and detailed and downright delicious-looking. There was no way Nico made it on her own.

Said girl chuckled, "Of course I do! What kinda idol can't cook for herself?" Nico laughed loudly with a pompous attitude that made Maki frown.

"I would have thought idols had their own chefs," she commented, barely scraping by the topic of Maki having exactly that. In fact, food was probably being cooked right now for her - and that included her lunch.

Nico growled lightly and Maki could hear a faint sizzle in the background, followed by a hiss. "Dang oil… anyway, an idol who can't take care of herself can't take care of other people," she answered, sounding like she was barely hearing what she was saying. Maki clutched at her blankets, tucking her head into them. "Maki-chan? Did my very helpful insight scare you away?"

"Shut up," Maki snapped, pulling the covers tighter around her body, as if Nico could actually see her. The older girl hummed a tune, somehow content with cooking and holding her phone at the same time.

Nico snickered. "Does Maki-chan want to try some of my delicious food today~?" she sang, the sizzling pan she was using going silent. Maki wanted to know what she was making, but she'd be damned if she had to say it. She would sometimes glance at Nico's lunches, noticing things like hamburger steak or _tiny_ onigiri; there was always something different. Maki found herself gulping in thought, the mere image of food making her stomach rumble.

She breathed in and let it out silently. "Only if you make it for me," she blurted, instantly blushing and smacking her palm to her lips. Maki could only wish that was actually effective in taking back such a stupid comment.

_What the fajsdklf;s kjflfj?!_

"Wow!" Nico laughed, "So cool, Maki-chan! Making such bold statements this early in the morning!" The small bursts of giggles didn't help in easing Maki's beating heart - in fact, the sounds might have made them worse.

Maki wanted to sink into her mattress, become one with the itchy fibers and prodding springs. She wanted to never emerge from her abyss of blankets again. "You're stupid. I don't want it," she snapped, hoping Nico would forget ever hearing that.

But oh, she didn't. Maki's body heat was ramped up way past her comfort level, and she could feel her hot breaths fanning her already burning cheeks. Nico's laughter subsided and the string of silence allowed Maki time to cool down, popping her head out of her blankets and tossing them aside. Her shirt had ridden up and her pants were clinging to her sweaty legs.

It felt like she had just walked from a sauna. Maki stood, shaking out her legs and taking dainty, shaky steps to the window, the navy blue sky becoming lighter as the sun rose. Nico cleared her throat, "Well, I guess I can give you a _sample_. Only so you can experience the best cuisine you'll ever try!"

Pursing her lips, Maki bit her cheek and tried to find something suitable to say in retort. But when she found nothing, she remained silent. There was a bicyclist speeding down the empty road, his tie swinging behind him, waving at her as he went down the hill. The other houses in the neighborhood stood still, a serene silence engulfing those who were still sleeping.

"Nico-chan," she stated, tilting her head. Nico lived in the exact opposite; a bustling area, full of different people in one hallway, millions of cars and faces passing by every day. Nico was the type to chug down an energy drink and run off without a care, whereas Maki preferred to slowly drink a cup of tea and stretch before going about her day.

They were such opposites, and yet -

"You know I'm only teasing you right?" Nico had asked, so softly it was almost like she had whispered into her phone. Maki's breath stopped. "A-anyway, prepare yourself Maki-chan! For amazing Nico Nico _O-Nii-_giri!"

Maki rolled her eyes. Again with the stupid catchphrase. She wondered why Nico thought it would somehow take off. Then again, Nico did and thought a _lot_ of stupid things. "Okay okay, I get it," she chuckled, already feeling exhausted from this simple conversation.

Nico let out a short breath and suddenly her voice was a lot more faint, as if she had put her phone down. She heard a woman's voice - presumably her mother - before Nico was back. "Bye Mama! See you tonight!" Nico yelled, Maki ripping her phone from her ear. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Your stupid rice balls," Maki said with a blank stare out the window.

"They're not stupid!" Nico retorted, "You haven't even tried them yet."

"I know. But I'm sure they're nothing special," Maki closed her eyes and tilted her head, feeling a tiny pop on her shoulder. "A fancy name doesn't mean the product is high quality."

Nico laughed, except this time it was much more sarcastic. "Ohh and you'd know all about _high quality_, wouldn't you? I-Have-a-Driver-chan!" The way she had addressed it triggered something within Maki's gut, and she didn't know whether to feel angry or insulted or both.

"What are you saying?" she asked, a gnawing feeling in her chest telling her to step back. Don't speak. _Zip the lip. _

Yet she wanted to know Nico's perspective.

"Nothing," Nico sighed. "I'm going to prove to you these rice balls are amazing! Just you wait, Nishikino Maaaki!"

_So she's going to avoid the subject like always. Fine._

She collapsed back onto her bed, curling into herself now that the sweat had, for the most part, dried off. Maki would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to lunch. But that was something Nico didn't need to know. Nico didn't need to know anything.

"So why are you up so early?" Nico inquired, "Is that why you're so grumpy?"

Maki frowned. "I'm not grumpy," she huffed, turning to her side. She glared at her closet, the double doors standing still, ignoring her hot gaze. Nico hummed, not adding onto it but leaving enough silence to let Maki know she was thinking something. But before she could even say anything, Maki was interrupted.

"I never answered your question, you know?" Nico said, making tiny chills run down Maki's arms. Why did her voice, at certain times, make Maki so nervous? It was annoying, irritating, and embarrassing. Like she was always standing in front of a million critics at some audition. "But if you're free we can do something after school - and no, not doing that piano!"

Lying on her back now, Maki closed her eyes and kept her phone pressed to her ear, wanting to kick her legs into the air and hit Nico in the face with them at the same time. She thought it over and ran a hand through her hair, letting it splay across her pillow. A red puddle surrounded her head. "Sure," Maki simply said, not wanting to give Nico any stupid ideas she might use later.

"We can talk about it during lunch. Now, if you'll excuse me, Nico has to freshen up and get ready to sweep you off your feet with an awesome lunch!"

"S-sweep me off my…!?" Maki yelled, sitting up with an expression of horror. "Nico-chan!"

A little laugh and a taunting "Bye bye!" made their way to her ears, and Maki slammed her phone down on her mattress, hands shaky and clenching over and over. Her ears were burning and her heart was aflutter. Her body was almost weightless.

Why did that stupid sentence make Maki so happy?

"Mou…!"

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Tsunderes falling in love are probably the cutest things.

So the reason this was added is because the next chapter insinuated a conversation I never included - they were treated as very _short_ flashbacks - so I figured, why not make a mini-chapter of it? That way we get our much needed romantic progress going and it glides us right into the next chapter pretty smoothly.

See ya!


	15. Her Hand is

I saw the trailer for the movie. I legit cried and I don't why. I'm going to be a mess at the premiere in LA.

Also! Pile's new song just came out~ I got the CD in the mail (because why not) and it's beautiful. She is a goddess.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Fourteen: Her Hand is…**_

* * *

"Maki-chan is in a good mood, nya," Rin commented, resting her head in her arms as she gazed at the redhead currently face-first in her notebook. Since walking into the classroom with a smile on her face, Maki had suffered from constant stares her classmates gave her. She couldn't blame them, since she walked in every day with either a frown or a grimace. But at the same time, she didn't know it would be such a big deal.

She cleared her throat and didn't dare look Hanayo in the eye. The green-haired girl looked like she fully understood what was going on in Maki's head, only offering a tiny supportive smile. Maki wanted to die.

"What do you mean?" she blurted, crossing her arms. "I always look like this, don't I?" She had no idea why she was trying to defend herself for smiling of all things, but the look in Rin's eye told her the orange-haired girl was indeed nosy.

Rin giggled. "Not always, nya!" She contorted her face and furrowed her eyebrows, mimicking Maki's current position by crossing her arms. "This is what you usually look like," Rin added with a pouty glare, sounding dejected, voice even lowering a few octaves. Maki's heart stopped and she fell forward, steam emitting from the top of her head.

Hanayo leaned forward to rub her red hair. "There there…"

Even though she was currently surrounded by two girls who somehow got the title of friends within a few weeks, Maki couldn't help thinking about the little conversation she had with Nico just hours ago. Why had her heart suddenly decided to melt away the ice she kept around it? It was fluctuating so much that Maki wanted to just rip it out and yell at it.

But at the same time, she wanted more of it. Maki was never used to such warm behavior from people; her parents were nice - but when she barely saw them, Maki couldn't say she was very open around them. So why was Nico different?

Maybe it was because she was so weird. Because she just _was_ different that seemed to make Maki look her way.

_What's with that? I don't get it!_

"Alright, class is starting girls, please go back to your seats," the proctor yelled, making Maki remember about the huge test that was coming up in just a few days. She hadn't studied for it at all. So at the sight of the man opening up his lesson plans, Maki whipped out her face of concentration and let the tip of her gel pen touch her notepad.

_Right. No time for messing around. _

A tiny, almost indistinguishable sound came from the inside of her school bag, the zippers shuddering and stopping after a good few seconds. Maki's eyes widened and she almost yelled in frustration when she realized it took away from a very important note the teacher had rubbed away almost instantly. Looking around, she saw blank faces, and then the back of Hanayo's head. Maybe she could copy from her later.

But that was almost childish, asking for notes. Maki shook her head - she'd be fine without it.

"Now, Nishikino," the teacher said, pointing the end of his pen in her direction. Maki stood immediately, back straight and hands holding her notebook before her, fingers just barely twitching. The man pushed his glasses further up his nose and sniveled. Maki could feel a tiny breeze behind her neck, like someone was blowing on her skin to rile her up.

"If you took the circumference of the Earth, and the circumference of the sun, based of the information just given to you, how many Earths would it take to line up on the face of the sun?"

Maki could only feel a sense of dread as he looked at her like she should have already been figuring it out on her own. She gulped and fumbled with numbers in her head, trying to remember the drivel he had been drawing on and on about just a few minutes ago. Her lungs stopped working and Maki knew they were all looking at her and -

"One… one hundred and fifteen?" Maki spat, spewing whatever number had come onto the surface of her brain. She watched as her instructor slowly lifted his head from his plan book, glasses slipping and grasp on his pen going limp. The other students, all but bored with the situation, turned a blind eye to the fact Maki had been standing there like a steamed noodle; ready to collapse into her chair from her embarrassing guess. However, she kept a vicious aura surrounding her expression. The last thing she needed was to look like she didn't know what she was doing.

"That's… very close," her teacher gulped, pulling at his collar. "The actual answer is around one-hundred and nine - but, Nishikino, you got extremely close. Good job…"

Chuckling, Maki sat back down and let go of the breath she was holding, feeling ready to head home and curl into her bed again. With the looks her classmates gave her; some in awe, others looking unimpressed, Maki needed to get away from the stuffy room.

So the moment they had a fifteen minute break, Maki stood from her chair and headed for the vending machines just around the corner.

Maki wondered what Nico did on her breaks. Did she venture out of her classroom, and get something to drink? Did she talk with her other classmates, unlike Maki who didn't feel comfortable with hers?

Stopping short of pressing the strawberry milk button, Maki took back her hand like it touched fire. And her cheeks sure did look like they were burning.

"Why do I keep _thinking that_?" she snapped, moving her finger on instinct and automatically pressing the button next to her preferred drink. A black can of warm, bitter coffee spilled out of the dispenser, hitting the plastic while Maki grimaced, mourning the loss of her coin.

"Wow, didn't know you liked coffee, Maki-chan. Such a bold girl," a petite, cute little voice said behind her, a small arm sliding past her shoulder to insert a coin and going for the drink Maki was originally going for. Maki sputtered nonsense, spinning enough to catch Nico's red-hot gaze.

Nico smirked, and took the coffee out of Maki's hands, with the same quick movements she demonstrated in the maid cafe, already so long ago. Her hand was warm. Soft. Maki wanted to take it in hers and just feel the unnaturally soft skin that Nico possessed. In its place, Maki was given the strawberry milk, and Nico went for another drink; a sweet vanilla flavored milk. And then plain water.

As she took the water bottle from inside the machine, Nico stood tall and gave Maki a smile, noticing the look of surprise on her junior's face. "Well, unless you wanted the coffee, I can just take that milk from your hand," she teased, giggling when Maki brought it closer to her chest. "Save some room for lunch though~!"

With a wink, Nico was off scurrying down the hall, leaving Maki with an annoying feeling in her chest. She shoved the straw into her milk and took a few chugs, shuddering when a creamy, cold sensation blanketed the heat surrounding her heart. The pink liquid slowly slid down the straw when Maki pulled it away, licking her lips.

It reminded her of Nico's pink little blazer.

"Maki-chan, Maki-chan!" Rin called as she walked back in, the clock indicating third hour was beginning. She gave her a confusing look and Rin grinned. "Kayochin, Saito-kun and I want you to have lunch with us, nya!"

_No, I - _

Maki hesitated. Maybe all her thoughts about Nico were because Nico was the only person Maki actually talked to in school. If she hung out with different people, surely the clinginess she had for Nico would go away. And she'd be able to make more friends. Rin and Hanayo, and even the dorky boy weren't bad people.

"Sure," she said, ushering Rin away with a point to the clock. The orange-haired girl beamed all the way to her seat, nearly giggling in happiness if it hadn't been for the loud bell. Maki let out a sigh.

This was the right thing to do. It had to be.

As the lunch bell rang, Maki stretched her arms and yawned slightly, going into her bag to retrieve the phone that had bugged her earlier in the morning. She opened the message, unsurprisingly from Nico, and it made her bite her bottom lip.

_I made you your own special bento for lunch today! Hope you're ready!_

"Damn her…" Maki mumbled, closing out of the message and putting her phone away, the corner of her eye catching Rin and Hanayo coming towards her. She put on her bravest face and looked up at their expectant gazes, her eyes transforming from harsh to regretful.

"I have lunch with another friend planned, so… I can't make it," she said, watching as the two girls smiled at each other and Rin pulled her up. "Wh-wha…?!"

"It's okay Maki-chan! Tomorrow for sure, nya!" she said, her green eyes blazing with stars. Maki gulped and had to look away from the innocent determination in them. So all she could do was nod and allow herself to get pushed out of the classroom.

She wondered if she had made them angry. But that was the least of her worries, especially when she was faced with a cross-armed, double bento holding Nico with a bright smile, eyebrows furrowed like she was ready for battle.

"Finally!" she yelled, approaching the taller redhead, the two neatly wrapped lunches in her hands being followed intently. Maki could already feel her stomach rumbling, the urge to eat becoming greater as Nico guided her to their spot in the courtyard.

They walked slow, the quiet hallways empty; as if everyone had known about their plans and decided to create… an _atmosphere_. Maki pressed her palms to her cheeks, hoping she wasn't blushing and hoping that if she was, it'd go away. She'd had enough acting like she was always so nervous around Nico.

Because it was Just Nico, after all.

And Just Nico was just a friend.

Maki concluded this with a vigorous nod, her eyes drifting to Nico on their own. The light from the window made it hard to look at her features, even being so close to her. Maki looked away, hoping she hadn't been caught.

As they exited the building, their bench just within reach, Nico looked back at her, and Maki glared. "What?" she asked, wondering why Nico stopped an inch out the door.

Nico's serene face turned sour, just a little bit, and she took another few steps. "Maki-chan," she said seriously, a little breeze sending her hair and blazer swinging around. It had just occurred to Maki that she discarded her jacket, leaving her unbuttoned pink blazer in its wake. Her red eyes were strong; they knew what they wanted. "Are you ready for the best lunch in this whole galaxy? That your tongue is going to taste my - "

"Yeah yeah," Maki responded, pressing her hand into Nico's face and passing her, closing her eyes as she slowly sat down. Nico joined her not long after, dusting off her skin, as if Maki's hand had been contaminated.

"Hmph," she huffed, handing Maki the purple wrapped one. The color of it reminded her of her classmate.

"_Nicocchi, you must eat a lot during lunch," Nozomi said, noticing the tiny stack hidden within Nico's desk. Nico jumped and pushed them further in, hoping the fact they couldn't be seen meant they hadn't been there at all. "Oh come now, it's okay to eat a lot."_

_She ignored her. Leave it to Nozomi to tease her about it, just minutes before lunch (thanks to their loser teacher who ended class early). And of course, Eli was nowhere to be seen, so she couldn't save her. Nico looked out the window and ignored the stare coming from the purple-haired girl; she was at least grateful Nozomi wasn't bothering her about the maid cafe ordeal. Even she at least knew about boundaries. _

"_Must be nice," the older girl said, leaning against the desk. Nico watched her through the reflection, blinking when she saw the weird little smile on Nozomi's face. She usually smiled - just not like that. _

"_What's the deal with you? Acting so weird all of a sudden…" she asked, not bothering to sugar-coat it. Nozomi was the odd type who took every statement; nice or mean, like a champ. Maybe she had a stomachache. _

_Nozomi shook her head. "Elicchi and I usually have lunch, just not like you. I wonder if we should go for parfaits," she began, immediately going to thinking out loud to herself. Nico wanted to lean towards the window more. Why, of all people to approach her (other than Maki she guessed), had she attracted the weirdest ones? Nico cursed her luck. _

"_Why not just…" At Nozomi's slight shake of her head, Nico gave up and stood. "Well, just let me know if anything comes up."_

_And so she headed out the door, not wanting to ruin her day by bothering herself with other people's business. _

Maki blinked, wondering why Nico had been staring at her knuckles they committed some sort of crime. But when the box touched her thighs, she jumped, nearly dropping the entire thing on the ground. "Geez, why be so dramatic about a few rice balls?" Maki asked, gently untying the fabric. It wasn't cheap material either - perfect for keeping it warm through most of the morning.

When she opened it, a pink box met her gaze, and she found Nico already stuffing her mouth with rice, chopsticks opening and closing like they were on autopilot. Maki gulped; she didn't know why Nico was hyping up basic food so much. And she didn't know why she felt excited to eat it either.

But when she opened her box, finding a cute pile of rice balls neatly lined up next to a bundle of grape tomatoes, followed by a group of octopus shaped sausages with faces, and a mix of various vegetables surrounding a piano-shaped steak, Maki had to look up at the third year. Nico looked at her with expectation, chopsticks hanging limply from her mouth and food going uneaten. Maki gulped. She had boxed lunches before, it's not like they were new.

This, however…

She broke her chopsticks and dug in, choosing the rice balls, since Nico had ranted about them so much. The one she chose had a look of disgust on it - mirroring her own expression. Maki glared at Nico, who scratched her cheek. "You made them look like me," she stated bluntly, taking in the bumpy features of the little rice ball. It was indeed small, way smaller than your average onigiri.

Maki slowly put it in her mouth, her teeth crushing the little annoyed expression and allowing its contents to smother her tongue. She recognized a sweetness - tuna, and a bit of mayo. Almost mimicking the ones you could buy at the convenience store, yet it had a much better, savory flavour she couldn't pinpoint. Maki wanted to chew on it forever; it gave her the shivers, and her tastebuds suddenly came to life to do what they were intended to do. Food was usually just engulfed, but Maki's senses came to life at that instant.

She covered her lips with her hand, eyes connecting with Nico's. The other girl almost looked worried. "It's good," she said plainly, not wanting to sound overly enthusiastic about it. After all, she wasn't going to let Nico talk so boldly about her cooking.

"Just _good_?" Nico asked, pulling out the chopsticks from her mouth. "I expected more of a reaction! Mou…" she shoved a rather large portion of rice into her mouth. Maki noticed her lunch was less elaborate - plain. No fancy shapes or decorations. So she had spent more time on Maki's food. It made her blush and look down at her food.

"Calm down, I haven't even tried anything else," Maki replied, rolling her eyes. In all honesty, Nico was a great cook if she did it all on her own. She poked at the little sausages, smiling when their smiles distorted. In an instant, they _disappeared_, Maki surprised at how non-salty they were. Her cook's usually consisted of a lot of salt and other little seasonings. Just eating them plain was enough.

She couldn't wait to finish it.

Nico grinned when Maki was on her last bite of her steak, the rest of the bento having slowly been consumed as little words were exchanged. It seemed just watching Maki eat (which was already embarrassing) was enough for her. And they still had some time left for lunch before going their separate ways.

"So? Final score?" she asked, scooting closer. Her box was already wrapped up and put away into her bag, so there was nothing stopping her from peering into Maki's face for an answer. "Hmm?"

Maki leaned away, the bit of steak ignored as it floated before her, shaky hand threatening to drop it if she didn't hurry. "E-eh…? It was fine, what else do you want?"

Nico frowned. "No, 'delicious!' or even, 'amazing Nico-chan! you can cook?!'... Maki-chan is boring," she pouted, sitting up. Maki scoffed and inserted the piece of meat into her mouth, eyes closing and shoulders shuddering at how good it was. Nico really was a great cook.

After swallowing, she looked back to see Nico's hand placed in between them as she stretched, looking up at the sky. It was as blue as ever, with some clouds floating in the distance. The sun was pointing at another spot in the school, leaving them in a nice shady spot.

Maki put away the box, blinking as she tied the purple fabric again. It wasn't as elegant as Nico originally had it, but it was enough to keep the box inside from spilling out. "I'll wash this and give it back to you," she said, stuffing it away into her bag. Nico nodded, closing her eyes.

"Haa… if there's one person Nico needs to make a fan, it's Maki-chan," she said, making Maki frown. "So how can I do it…?"

"Well, helping me finish that piano would be a great start, Super Idol," Maki responded. They were going to finish today, she knew that much. The strings were fine now, the soundboard was in pristine condition thanks to Nico and the inside wasn't so much a wasteland. And it would take less than twenty minutes to get the stand for the lid in position.

After that, Nico was free from her debt. And free from Maki.

Then Maki would play every day, practice for her orchestra and prove to Yuji that she was capable of doing a solo. All she needed was time. But did she _want_ that? Did she really want to be separated from Nico? After all, the only reason they spoke to each other was because of Nico's obligation to pay Maki back - they never would have become friends, or anything close if that didn't exist.

Nico stood to her feet and gave Maki a thumbs up. "Of course! An idol never forgets her promises, after all!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the courtyard. It was almost like she was oblivious to the fact they were outside, and in public, and anybody could hear them if they so walked a inch near the courtyard.

"Oh really?" the redhead responded, blinking when Nico nodded.

Ignoring the pile of embarrassment in her chest, Maki reached out to grab Nico's outstretched hand, effectively shutting down the moment Nico's grin lowered. "Then," Maki said, the ball in her throat expanding and almost trying to cram the words back into the depths of her lungs. "Then promise me that we -"

"Nishikino-san! Good thing we found you!" a girl yelled from the door they entered from, forcing Maki to jump away from Nico's hand like it was hot coal. Nico stepped back in shock, hands covering her chest, still not registering the sight of two girls with notebooks awkwardly stepping near them.

They looked Maki's age, maybe second years, but they fiddled with their bags until one of them spoke up, her black hair brushing her eyebrows. "U-um! We… we were really amazed that you answered that question so easily in class today!" she said, stepping forward. Her loud voice made Maki grimace - it was nothing like Nico's. Nico's was annoying, but it didn't grate on her ears.

"So we were wondering," the other girl continued, "If you could please tutor us in math? We really need to pass that test…"

Maki locked eyes with Nico, the third year shrugging and stepping to her things, ready to leave. The two girls from her class watched as Nico pulled out her phone, sitting down next to Maki. The redhead was relieved; she didn't want Nico to leave her with two random students she barely knew. It was almost scary how they had hunted her down.

"Uhm," she coughed, getting their attention again. The black-haired one smiled, and Maki had no heart to say no. But she didn't want to do it either.

_Why? It's not like I'm good at math. I don't want to. They can ask someone else. _

"Well, I'm busy today, so you'll have to ask me another day before the test. Maybe tomorrow after school or something," she suggested, playing with her hair. The two girls flinched and exchanged disappointed looks before bowing to her, grumbling amongst each other as they walked away.

"We tried right? So the guys were right when they say she's pretty stuck-up…"

"Oh don't say that, she might hear you…!"

Maki sighed, dropping her hand and leaning back, Nico putting her phone away and handing her a carton of vanilla milk. It was slightly lukewarm, so it had to have been the one Nico bought earlier. The thought of using the same straw was almost crazy, and Maki almost tossed it aside for that reason.

But she sucked it up, and let her lips engulf the plastic. A very sweet liquid touched her tongue, completely opposite to the savory lunch she just inhaled. After two sips, she handed it back to Nico who easily took a drink herself.

"Ahh, that was painful to watch," Nico commented, waving her hand in the air. "Leave it to Maki-chan to even get girls asking her to tutor them."

Maki jumped and fully turned to her, face red. "I-I didn't accept, did I?! Besides, it's not like I asked them to come to me for help." She crossed her arms and huffed, leaving her eyes closed. If she started at Nico even longer she'd probably kill the girl.

"Mhm... " Nico giggled. "Anyway, what were you about to say? Nico can't wait all day you know~?" she sang, poking Maki's nose and lightly flicking her head upwards. Maki bared her teeth, shiny white pearls, and expressed her anger through pulling Nico's cheek. After a few seconds of soothing painful cries, Maki let go. The black-haired girl rubbed her flesh, the red markings no doubt going to make her classmates question themselves.

And now Nozomi might come up to her and preach about violence. How the stars predict the way to peace wasn't through violence…. or something. Either way she would probably say something along those lines.

"Forget it okay?" Maki asked, relaxing herself. The leaves on the tree above rustled, sending a few down to the grass below. Maki kicked her feet and put her hand against the bench to sit more comfortably, but yelped when she felt Nico's hand instead, not having moved since she put it there.

The two hands sat there, one over the other, awkwardly. Nico stared at Maki, and Maki stared at their hands; Nico's more specifically. She had wanted to touch it, and did just a few minutes ago too, but it was nothing compared to how it felt as Nico gently flipped her palm, gripping her hand in a way that encouraged her to hold it.

_Her hand is... really sweaty._

* * *

_**A/N:**_

I gotta stop with the fluff and start writing more plot with the others haha. RinPana are now pretty much trying to get Maki to come out of her classroom shell and actually _talk_ to people, and she is. Just very slooooowly.

See ya.


	16. Stay With Me

I got sick for… many days. It was a pretty horrible experience, and after a few bad days at the hospital my doctor told me to stay in bed at home until I felt better. I might be prone to sickness often through the rest of the story - so I'm sorry about any delays. I made it a little longer for you guys to enjoy to compensate.

I'm really glad to hear you guys like my Nico. :)

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Fifteen: Stay With Me**_

* * *

After the intimate lunch they had (well, intimate to Nico), she wasn't very surprised to see Maki nearly fling herself back into her classroom. Granted, Nico was standing outside the door, smile on her face, acting like waiting for another student was no big deal.

The first-year stared at her, eyes wide and glowing in both surprise and a bit of giddiness that made Nico swell in happiness. Her chest was puffed to prove it, even her heart was bubbling in a warmth made from a bundle of "good mood" vibes.

"Hey Maki-chan," she grinned, hands on her hips. Maki looked around nervously and nodded in response, joining Nico in walking down the rather busy hall. School was over, but club activities reigned until evening. They saw students already changing into their club uniforms, taking things like baseball bats, bags of volleyballs and cartons of paint products to and fro.

They had time then, Nico thought, to spend on their last day together at least. Maybe Maki would even join her for ice cream, if she was up to it.

"So, you're being pretty chatty right now," she joked, nudging Makis shoulders. The redhead grunted, but said no words. Nico bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep the annoyed sneer from breaking out. Nico could almost feel herself bristling. It annoyed her that Maki was always so distant.

"That's because..." Maki gripped her school bag tighter, completely ignoring the door of her piano room and going further down the corridor, stopping short of hitting the dead end. The redhead turned around, so quickly her vision blurred and Nico could only see a wave of red hair smothering Maki's face. Until of course, the glare was sent her way - like she had forced Maki into walking without thinking. But Nico smiled, and held the door open for her.

"In you go before you start walking into walls," she snickered, barely avoiding the flinging finger aiming for her forehead. Maki was quick to react.

Dumping her bag onto a nearby desk, Maki took off her school jacket and watched as Nico huddled into the corner of the room where they kept their cleaning supplies safely locked in a nearby cabinet. It was rusted, and had a yellow tinge, but it kept their things safe while they needed them. Nico almost felt attached to the empty bottle of polish and long-since ripped scrub pads.

She turned then, face mask already lifted and hair safely out of the way, to watch Maki collect her hair. Nico blinked as she observed the locks of red, velvet tresses slowly coming together into one large scrunchie just above Maki's right shoulder. And just like that, Maki looked years older - like she belonged in University.

Maki was pretty. That was one fact Nico just had to accept. There was nobody out there with the same shade of fierce red hair; nobody with eyes that dulled and shined in such a bright, childish amethyst; nobody with pale skin that didn't need any moisturizers.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Maki asked, crossing her arms with a slight twitch in her frown. Her voice in the deathly silent room caused tremors in Nico's body. Nico blinked again, focusing on Maki's face. She'd been looking?

Composing herself from the rather sudden question, she cleared her throat. "Only because you've been staring at me!" she said, slamming down the last clean rag they had available. The rest hung loosely on the edges of the bucket, all stained grey and black, some of them even shades of green. It made a flitter of dust rise before Maki's face, Nico going unaffected because of the mask.

"Y-yeah…. yeah right!" Maki yelled, a rather loud sneeze taking over their conversation and completely blowing Nico away from the sheer volume. Nico stepped back, index fingers jammed into her ears as her eyebrows jumped from her face and into the air.

"Wow!" she yelled right back, "I thought girls were supposed to sneeze all… I dunno, cute?!" Maki gaped at her like fish caught out of water, hands balling and gripping the edge of her skirt as words and thoughts processed. Nico smiled. "It was a little cute though~"

Grunting, Maki turned around and let her shaky shoulders do all the talking. Nico rolled her eyes, tossing Maki the rag and ignoring her screech as it landed on her head, blocking her line of sight. "Come on, aren't you the least bit excited to be finishing this thing?!" Nico asked, opening up the lid with confidence. She grinned at the sight; days, hours of work had paid off nicely.

Maki sighed. "Why would I be?" Her question made Nico's head turn, hands going slack against the lid. It was their last day - why was Maki being such a downer?

"What's with you?" Nico asked, placing a hand on her hip. It was one thing to hear Maki being her usual self (introverted, snarky, quite stubborn) but for her to give off grey vibes didn't fit well with her.

Nico sighed and pulled down her face mask, taking dainty steps towards the redhead. "Well?" she asked, gesturing into the air as if her previous question had been floating there, still relevant. Maki ignored her, staring down at the rag in her palm.

Nico breathed out hot air - air that was just packed with petty insults that would get nowhere - and shook her head. Pushing Maki was probably the worst option right now; the most they'd get was a tennis match of insults back and forth.

"You gotta look at the positives, Maki-chan!" she said, hoping it'd reassure her somehow. Maki's eyes flickered over to her, but her expression remained the same. "You can practice and show that Mr. Whoever you mean business!"

Then, a small smile. Nico wanted to gloat about making it appear, but held it back. If she could bite her tongue for even five more minutes, it would probably make something good happen.

"_The card is telling you to take action - change something about your life."_

Nico wanted to slap herself for giving into Nozomi's probably inaccurate and overall _dumb_ advice based off a few pieces of cardboard, but there was something she read into it, or listened. _Whatever_ the case, something about Nozomi's words made her want to follow them, just to see what kind of end the path lead to.

And if it worked, she would eat… Cotaro's toys.

Maki shook her hair into place, fluffy red locks falling back into their usual positions. Glossy purple eyes, taking a few seconds to look out the window and watch as the trees slightly shuddered, leaves dancing in place as a breeze swept through the branches, blinked and turned towards Nico, leaving the third year breathless.

Yes, Maki was indeed pretty. So pretty, she stole the words right from Nico's tongue.

Gorgeous. Nico swallowed a slightly heavy, jealous lump from her throat, sending it to the pits of her stomach to dissolve. Never to be seen or heard from anyone but herself.

"But I'm not sure if that's really what I want to do," Maki sighed, finally releasing some sort of sentence, resting her chin on her palm. Even her solemn expression was lovely. Nico had a hard time staring at Maki's face, lest she end up looking like some creep.

Nico breathed. "What.. what do you want to do, Maki-chan?" she asked, a palm resting on the lid of the piano, facemask going abandoned on top of some desk. Her small frame was leaning over the younger girl, one knee bent so she could get a good look at her face. Nico had her dreams sorted out; she was just waiting for graduation to actually take the real first step. But Maki… Maki had opportunities; open doors awaiting her. And she could choose any.

Maki looked up, smiling in such a sad, confused way Nico had to step away. The aura around Maki was so depressing, so anguished and yet so blank that it was impossible to know what she was thinking. However, Maki reached out a hand and pulled her back, even closer than she was before, and rested her forehead on Nico's stomach. Her red hair covered her face, but all Nico could think about was how awkward and weird this was.

"I don't know," Maki said, her usually strong voice so utterly quiet and so pitiful.

Closing her eyes and biting back her response about personal space, Nico smiled and wound her arms around Maki's neck, pushing her further into her abdomen. It was almost like comforting Cotaro when he was sad their mother hadn't returned.

For today, Nico would try avoid fighting. If only because it was their last day to be together.

_Yeesh, why am I making this such a big deal? It's not like we're… we're… w…_

Red eyes widened when Maki retreated, her face so close and eyes so shiny, a smirk on her pretty face ruining the internal conflict going on within her senior.

"Wh-what are you looking at?" Nico snapped, shattering the decision she literally just made. Maki hummed and returned to pressing her face on Nico, this time her cheek on her chest. "Maki-chan."

"Oh nothing," the redhead responded. Maki tightened her arms on Nico's back, steeling herself in place. "Hmm? Is something wrong? Claustrophobia?" Nico could feel the smirk widening on Maki's face; like she knew everything going on inside Nico's head.

"Shut up."

* * *

Nico pushed her finger into Maki's vision, the desk separating the two doing nothing from preventing the digit from pressing into the redhead's nose. "So, where'd you come from? Some fancy, urban city huh? Maybe even Europe!"

The snacks resting on the table were ripped open, with Maki taking a good amount of time to inhale the candy bar resting in her hand. "I went to UTX," she said, covering her mouth. "It was mainly for the name, I guess. Nothing special."

Nico blanched. If Maki kept up with the surprises, eventually Nico would stop caring, even if Maki said she found a cure for cancer. "So… you're saying you went to the biggest, best, highly regarded school in all of Japan, and it's _nothing special_?!" she yelled, breaking her pocky with her teeth. She fell limp in her chair, "Oh the humanity!"

"Quit yelling," Maki groaned, rubbing her ears. "My parents wanted me to go because I could, that's it. I really only agreed because of the music programs." She didn't flinch a bit when Nico looked like she was going through a heart attack. Nico could hardly understand why Maki thought it was no big deal - why wasn't she gloating? Why wasn't she unimpressed by Otonokizaka at all?

After staring at the ceiling in utter awe, Nico bounced back and stared at Maki, as if there was more to the story than she led on. Which, to the younger girl, was a ridiculous assumption.

"Well, what was your city like? The people? Students?! Come on, Maki-chan this isn't rocket science!" Nico nearly begged, clapping her hands together. Maki rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. The setting sun let in a brilliant orange glow in the classroom; the piano was completed after ten minutes of work together, and was now covered in its original tarp and awaiting the next day to be played. So they waited for Koji-san's arrival, the elder man already agreeing to give Nico a ride home until the end of the year.

Maki set down the wrapper, reaching for another with a sigh. "Well, just like here. Busy, but not as big… my parents owned a hospital there, but I think they sold it. I'm not sure - they work at the main hospital downtown now -"

"Yeah yeah, but what about you?" Nico interrupted, moving her fingers in wave-like patterns. They skidded above the information Maki gave, wanting the more important - or Nico's case, interesting - things. "What about the orchestra? What did you like?"

After that question, it was like all the previous little thoughts in Maki's head didn't matter. An innocent gleam in her eyes took over, as did her motions.

"Well, we had this really cool instructor, he wasn't as strict as the one I had now, and he mixed songs into one, like a big remix," Maki began, the mere excitement lacing her voice forcing a tiny giggle out of the third year. It seemed to go unnoticed.

"And the people in it were okay to be around. They weren't very social, and I didn't have that many friends - but there was one I remember; Kira Tsubasa. She was very good at playing the trombone. She always stayed after class to practice, and we'd play a few songs together."

With a soft expression on her face, Nico nodded along with her story. It was the first time Maki was actually opening up, like the information was just spewing from inside, having been held inside for so long. And Nico, while usually uninterested with boring backstories, found herself happy that she was the only one to hear it.

"I did have a piano… u-ueh?!" Maki jumped when Nico was suddenly getting up from her seat, skipping over to Maki's side and clinging to her back. Red eyes pulled her eyelids over them, Nico enjoying the slight struggling and tiny whines coming out of her junior. "Let go!"

"Why don't you stop worrying so much about what Mr. Whatever and just _play_ then? Screw his rules! Stars do what they want!" Nico wanted to bite that statement back, knowing full well that method never worked - but at the same time just thinking of some boring old man whipping Maki into a kind of player she just wasn't, didn't suit well with her.

Maki leaned back into her touch, a slight relieved sigh escaping her lungs. "If I could do that, don't you think I would have?" she asked, turning her head. The view was turning more orange, soon they would have to leave the room. She glanced up again, noticing how Nico's pale skin glowed in the sunset, how her eyes looked like the burning sun instead of rubies on a beach.

"No I really don't think so," Nico giggled, gently prodding Maki's exposed cheek and releasing an annoyed hum from the back of Maki's throat. She released Maki from her hold, ignoring the sting of a chilly breeze on her chest and turned her back to the other girl. "So play! However you want. I wanna hear it!" She kept a strong gaze on the chalkboard, trying desperately to blame the wind for the burn in her eyes - for the gloss appearing on the surface of her eyeballs. Nico couldn't cry _now_, of all times.

_That'd be freakin' embarrassing. Keep your back to her, don't let her look okay? You gotta be strong for them. _

"N-no way!" Maki replied, hunching over as she yelled. She didn't know why - but playing in front of Nico was near impossible. Unreachable. "Embarrassing," she added aloud with a slight edge to her tone.

Nico smirked, having already anticipated that.

"Instead, what about you? Why do you do that idol thing?" Maki asked, turning her gaze over her shoulder. Nico felt her face drop and her hands go slack on her waist, still keeping her back to Maki. Now that she asked that sort of question, how was she supposed to respond? Nico cringed when the seat scraped against the old wood.

"Why do you collect money everywhere? Why are you a maid, Nico-chan? It's... " As she took a moment, Nico turned around and placed her hands on Maki's shoulders, effectively stopping the waterfall of questions emerging from her mouth. The third-year wanted to shove them back in, to pretend like those words hadn't ever been uttered. But it was too late.

"It's weird, right? Idols are weird, huh?" Nico muttered, breathing out her questions like she had just come back from a triathlon. Maki gulped. "I… I'll tell you. But not today. Some other time, okay?"

Maki sniffed, throwing her nose into the air and giving the ceiling a hard stare. "Is that supposed to be some kind of promise?" she asked, keeping an eye on Nico's features as the other girl stood properly, a sort of sad shine in her eyes.

"Well, do idols keep their promises or what?"

"Er," Maki jerked, freezing in place at that retort. Was it rhetorical? Was she supposed to answer?

Nico shoved her aside to gather her bag and the snacks that went uneaten, ignoring Maki's stare as she trotted along the room. The redhead placed her hands on the chair before her, shaky fingers tightening their hold on the wood as she contemplated her next move. That was twice today the word promise had been brought up. And it brought Maki back to her next question - or rather, demand, as Nico would take it anyway.

"Nico-chan," Maki called, turning around and finding Nico perched on a desk just inches away, arms crossed and legs swinging as she seemingly stared at Maki's thinking face - except that wasn't the case at all. Every word died behind her teeth, and Maki's knees went limp. They had hugged already - quite a few times, so… why was this different?

Maybe because Nico had her phone out and was snapping photos. "What are you doing?! Delete those!" Maki yelled, going rigid at yet another _snap_ coming from the speaker. Nico grinned evilly.

"No way," she teased, kicking her legs again. "Maki-chan is just so cute when she's in thought!"

Maki growled and Nico sniggered. But then, Maki's frown reversed itself, forming into a smile that Nico found oddly out of character. It was too big, too wide - too cute for it to be real. Even when Maki stepped closer, and bit her lip before taking Nico's hands, Nico couldn't help but think it was some elaborate trick. Her heart had to be in on it too.

A conspiracy.

"If idols keep their promises," Maki shakily began, fingers twitching alongside limp, smaller digits. Nico gulped - it wasn't like Maki to be so serious; it was scary. "Then promise me we'll stay together after this. I don't…"

_This is a prank. It has to be. _

Nico wanted to laugh, she wanted to rip the serious, forlorn expression off Maki's face to reveal the smirking, evil mastermind hidden within her brain. But as Maki stared at her, with almost scared violet gems begging her to comply, Nico had to sigh and admit to herself that yes, this was real.

"Sure, but!" she said, jumping off the desk to fall dramatically into Maki's arms. Nico snuggled into her shoulder, eliciting an annoyed huff. "Only if Maki-chan lets me hear her play this piano we slaved away for!"

Grunting, and giving up on pushing Nico away, Maki hummed. "I could, but first you tell me all about… that.. idol stuff," she said, sounding disgusted to even say the word. Maki even gave Nico a grimace of repulsion. In response, Nico glowered and grabbed Maki's school bag from her grip, sticking her tongue out and running through the door, ignoring the shouts and hiss coming from the other girl as she collided into the door, just barely missing the sliver of a chance to catch her.

"That sounded like it hurt," a soft voice said, causing Maki to look up to the person who had just opened it. A familiar, charming face coupled with a pair of amber eyes holding years of experience Maki could only wish she possessed. Sonoda Umi helped her up, turning to face the direction Nico had run in. "You two look like you're in a hurry, so I'll let you go. I was actually hoping to meet with Eli here…"

Umi looked around the empty room. "But it doesn't look like she's here. Maybe in the student council office?" At that point, Maki figured she was talking to herself when Umi turned to smile at her. "Sorry for keeping you, I didn't mean to intervene in your chase. Please, go ahead without me."

Maki nodded at that, staring suspiciously into Umi's calm face before walking off. After all, in the presence of an _idol_ \- as Nico would call them; Maki preferred the word _persona_ \- one didn't dare give off a bad impression.

Umi ventured inside the room, finding nothing much of interest aside from the covered piano she didn't dare reveal. She found a pile of sweets on a desk, left by the girls she had seen seconds ago, and in danger of melting in the sun. "She does like chocolate," she mused, picking out a few things and holding them gently in her arms. There was no clock and Eli wasn't around, so Umi figured she should leave.

"Haa, Eli isn't very punctual today…" Umi sighed to herself, gently closing the door to the room. She turned the knob again and nodded when it was locked, turning to the exit of the side building. It was, for the most part, empty, but she had no idea where the student council room was.

Until of course, she saw the vice-president walking along a path with a few files in hand. Umi smiled at the sight of someone familiar, and kept her pace quick yet casual. She didn't want to scare her off by running towards her after all.

"Excuse me," she called, holding out a hand for Nozomi to recognize her presence. Umi gave up her walk and briskly jogged over to her until she was in safe distance. Nozomi took a second to take in the sight before her and smiled back. "Sorry, I was supposed to meet Eli around here," she began, bowing for intruding on Nozomi's business. "But I seem to be lost…. I hope you don't mind I ask you for some help?"

Green eyes, stone cold for a second, perked up at the mention of the president. "Ahh sure! I was just on my way there, you see. Just follow me!" she said, turning away to lead the hottest idol to her destination.

"Ah! Let me help you there, if just to thank you!" Umi said, hurrying over to steal more than half of Nozomi's stack. The fortune-teller blinked before she even realized the weight lifting from her arms, and turned her head to the stoic looking Umi.

"To the student council we go," Nozomi half-giggled, taking notice of the idiot couple running around a tree in the background, the shorter of the two tripping on a rock and sending them both to the ground. A man in a uniform came running shortly after like he was being chased, shrieking at the sight of them face-first in the grass.

* * *

Eli dropped her paperwork at the sight of a smiling Umi at her door, with Nozomi holding the door open for her. "Umi!? I'm sorry - I forgot I told you to come!" she panicked, hurriedly standing from her seat to relieve the idol of the files in her arms. She turned her eyes to Nozomi, who held a gentle smile. "Thank you for bringing her, Nozomi," she said, tilting her head in gratitude.

Reaching out a hand to stroke her bangs, Nozomi shook her head. "I figured you need a break, Elicchi. Ahh and she was so lost, like a child at the supermarket…" she teased, pressing a palm into her cheek. Umi choked on air and turned to stare at her in awe.

"Come now," Eli smiled nervously. "Uh, you can take a seat anywhere you'd like, I'll be right back with some drinks."

Nozomi stopped her, grabbing the hem of her shirt before she was out of reach. Eli opened her mouth to say something, but froze when Nozomi pushed a finger to her lips, a tiny blush forming on the part-Russian's face. "I can go get them - you're the host, it'd be rude to leave your guest alone, right?" Nozomi asked, placing her hands on Eli's shoulders. The blonde nodded and smiled when she turned her gaze Umi's way. Inside the room, Umi jumped in her seat and grinned back.

With a slight shove and a wiggle of her fingers, Nozomi allowed Eli to go back inside to speak with Umi, biting her lip and ignoring the numb pain in her chest. She gripped the green ribbon on her chest tightly.

The way her heart was throbbing this time was much different than it had been just months ago.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

One more day until the gorgeous UR Nozomi in Vegas. I'm ready for my early birthday present, SIF! Please make it a tapestryyy someone.

Okay I'm sorry. I took some medicine and listened to Junai Lens when I wrote this chapter and it made me crazy for Nozomi even more. I can be her Eli I swear it. T T If Eli wants Umi I can happily take Nozomi.

Okay I'll stop my med-filled gushing. Anyway, sorry for the long wait for this. I don't know if I'll be back in the doctor's again, but I will try to get the next chapter out faster than I did this time.

See ya~


	17. Sebastian

I saw my fic being recommended on tumblr. ;-; It's such an honor_** nicotachi**_. ;-;

Even though I'm a crippled mess, I was like… screaming and laughing and fangirling. Until of course, I started coughing. You almost killed me, nicotachi.

There's also these little parody series (abridged, I guess people call it) of Love Live called "Manly Idols" and "Girly Idols." They're comedy gold, you should really check 'em out on Youtube.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Sixteen: Sebastian  
**_

* * *

"So, how did you like Otonokizawa?" Eli asked, patting down her worn seat. She still had a few things to do, but the presence of one of her closest friends before her was enough to distract her. Umi played with the wrapper of the already-eaten chocolate bar; it was taken and shoved down Eli's throat within seconds. She underestimated the blonde's love for the sweet.

She cleared her throat, feeling like she had a piece of candy lodged within it. "Fine, very big and clean…" Umi didn't know what to say, especially when Eli was giving her such a shimmering stare. Umi couldn't go out of her way to _overpraise_ the school dishonestly, but she didn't want to make the Student Council President feel bad by bad mouthing it either.

Eli shook her head with a light laugh. "It's okay, you don't have to force an answer you know," she said, glancing over to the paperwork sitting just inches away. Her fingers itched to run through them, but she ignored it. Nozomi would kill her if she walked in to see Eli working on stuff while Umi was drenched in awkward silence.

"Anyway, when did they say you can start?" Eli asked, noticing how Umi's gaze continually wandered to every corner of the room - as if they had cameras or microphones installed everywhere. She wanted to laugh at the silliness of it, but knew Umi probably had it tough, being a trendy topic everywhere.

Said idol sighed. "I can't remember. I am glad I don't have to attend a very notable school - n-not that this one is bad, but -"

"It's okay Umi, Otonokizaka isn't very popular anymore," Eli interrupted, placing her hand on Umi's fretting ones. The idol was home schooled, so she didn't really know much about attending a public one. Eli knew she was nervous. "And we're not very… well, rich. So don't worry about high-tech surveillance. Unless you count Nozomi's camcorder."

Umi bristled, but smoothed out her features with a sigh, leaning back into her chair. "It's going to be difficult once I do start though, with all the commotion from other students," she said, running a hand through the ends of her hair. It was dark, a few shades darker than Nozomi's hair, and a completely opposite shade than Eli's naturally bright hair. "I remember the first day you started ballet," Umi mused, catching her friend staring at her navy locks. "It was the first time I had seen a girl with blonde hair… and with such bad skills to boot."

"Don't bring that up now," Eli nearly snapped, a shade of red tipping her nose. She looked like a reindeer. "Only because I hadn't practiced in weeks…" She exchanged glances with the girl across from her, like a silent conversation was taking over without them even needing words. Eli had to admit it was comforting. Even with Nozomi, Eli felt like she was being read from the inside out, whereas the other girl was almost as readable as a brick wall. It was odd, why she was so… warm, with Umi around.

The door opened then, breaking the contact they had in favor of staring at Nozomi carrying in a few drinks in hand. Coffee, milk, water and some other hot drinks were toppled over each other, but still perfectly balanced within the vice president's arms. "I've got a variety here," the fortune teller said, carefully placing the cans in a neat circle. Umi scooted over a few inches, careful not to drop anything with her elbows.

"You didn't have to spend that much…" Eli nervously said, counting the number of drinks Nozomi was putting down. It was like a magic show that never ended. "We're only three people, Nozomi."

The purple-haired girl giggled. "We are! But I know that unless you drink something while doing work, you're going to fall asleep," she said, patting Eli on the head while opening up a can of grape juice. Umi covered her mouth after taking a plentiful amount of water, trying not to laugh at the pitiful sight before her.

Eli pushed her forehead into the desk, hoping she would somehow sink into it, and be hidden forever. Once she realized that no, she couldn't become one with the table, she lifted her gaze to the smiling girls before her. "Just… forget it," she sighed, feeling comfortable with the fizz of her drink when she popped the cap.

"So, Umi-chan," Nozomi turned to the idol, who was glaring at her legs for crossing on instinct, placing her palms on her knees and forcing them to be still. She wanted to giggle, but swallowed it. "How long have you known Elicchi?"

"Ah," Umi said, almost like she hadn't anticipated the question. "Well, we've known each other for a few years because of ballet classes. I had to take them when I first became an idol, and I join in sometimes when I can." She gave Nozomi a polite smile, and couldn't help turning her head to Eli, who had a dust of a blush on her face, averting her eyes to the opened window suspiciously. Like the information was supposed to be kept private. Nozomi blinked.

Then smiled.

"How d'you like it? Being an idol I mean," she asked, propping herself on the table. Eli made a guttural noise but chose not to say anything. After all, Nozomi thought to herself, Umi was a precious friend who didn't need to see her anal tendencies.

The navy-haired girl laughed a bit, scratching her cheek while keeping her eyes closed. Nozomi had seen the look before, in other students trying to keep from gazing off to the side as they thought to themselves. "Well, it's not a bad career choice. I do enjoy making my fans and audiences alike happy, it's one of the more pleasurable things of being an idol," she started quite mechanically, opening her eyes and staring at the blank whiteboard behind Eli. "But it's also comforting to have friends to remind me of who I am."

"Umi..." Eli blurted, expression softening. Nozomi took another drink, the taste of lemons not making its way to her tastebuds. She turned her eyes away from the two starstruck girls gazing deeply at each other, tapping the can as if she would find some mysterious power within it. Umi was sincere, she didn't put on any sort of farce despite being an idol and was quite open despite her formal manners. And yet, Nozomi couldn't read her.

She couldn't read her at all, and that was the scariest part.

It was half past six when Umi announced her leave, Eli stumbling and scooting out of her seat as fast as she could to walk her friend out. Nozomi stood beside her, hand on her lower back to prevent Eli from toppling to the ground, stepping away with a contented grin when she saw the blonde president was okay.

Umi half-lead the way out, stopping short of reaching stairs leading to dead ends multiple times. Eventually she casually strolled next to Eli, hand brushing the other girl's knuckles. Nozomi pretended not to notice.

"So when is the next class you have scheduled?" Eli asked, keeping her eyes down the hallway where the entrance brought in a darkening purple light. There were no other students, the only ones left being managers for sports clubs or others simply too in love with the school to go home.

The idol hummed. "I believe it's next weekend. I can assure you it's coming soon though," she smiled at Eli, shoulders bumping. Eli giggled a bit, letting it trail off as they opened the doors, slowly stepping out. Nozomi stretched her arms, staring at the already glowing moon. There were thin clouds covering it, letting down a muffled yellow light. She could feel the spiritual energy from it recharging her.

"It was nice to meet you, Tojo-san," Umi bowed before her, startling the purple-haired girl. Nozomi blinked and laughed, trying to pretend she had noticed Umi standing there all along.

"You too! And you can call me Nozomi. Even better: Nontan!" she said, prodding her index finger against the tip of Umi's nose.

"Nozomi!" Eli cried in exasperation, twiddling her thumbs against her skirt as she watched Nozomi edge closer to the idol. Umi leaned back until she couldn't stretch her back any further, watching in horror as Nozomi winked at her, an old haze fit for her grandmother taking over Nozomi's feature.

"E-eh… I'll stick to Nozomi-san for now," Umi said, weakly drooping her shoulders and rolling her feet. She exchanged smiles with her senior, and turned to the awaiting Eli for a tight hug. It lasted several short seconds, with the sound of clothes rustling as they tightened their hold on each other. Nozomi watched in awe at the serene smile Eli revealed as she slinked away from Umi.

"I'll talk to you later, and I'll let you know when my uniform arrives so I can take that tour you promised me," she said, waving to the two of them before bowing again, and taking proud, long steps towards the main road where a car awaited her. It sped off not a second later.

Nozomi took the first step towards the same direction. "She's very nice. And cute," she concluded. Eli took dainty steps behind her, staring at the ground. They waited in silence for the walking meter to change, the bright red light illuminating Eli's pale complexion. It was almost like acting for the blush she was trying to hide. Nozomi wanted to cackle at the obvious shyness her usually hardened President was showing, but decided to put the statements to rest in her mind.

A tight grip on her bag stopped her, the little keychain she had hanging off the side colliding into Eli's knuckle. Confused green eyes stared at the hidden face of Eli, who simply took a step closer until her nose was touching the edge of Nozomi's ear. The purple-haired girl wanted to squeal in surprise, but settled for a casual utter of surprise.

"Y-you weren't serious about it, were you?" Eli murmured, her breath fanning violet locks. Nozomi had to take a sliver of a step back, wondering what exactly the other girl was talking about. Maybe being around Umi injected helium into her brain instead of oxygen.

"_Nontan…"_

It was said too quietly to be heard a millimeter apart, but Nozomi could hear the whisper clear as day, enough that she sidestepped to get a bigger picture of Eli's face (still hidden, she should add), as well as to project her grin that couldn't be seen either.

"Only the wise and cute Elichika can answer that, I'm afraid," she teased, taking Eli's hand and dragging her across the road before the light went red again.

* * *

"No, Maki - agh!" Nico cringed as she watched the highly rare and only version of a certain stuffed animal fell into the abyss of other generic bears, it's sparkling silver paws taunting the shaking to-be idol.

Maki let go of the annoying stick controlling the claw, lowering her hands to her hips as Nico shoved her aside, throwing in another bunch of yen into the slot. The machine roared to life again, with lights going off and music playing, the claw slowly rising to retrieve it's prey. Laying across Nico's head was a red bear Maki won, but didn't want, gazing lazily into the glass confinement it used to be in.

His owner - that was Nico - growled as she kept her eyes on the slow-moving claw. It jittered and stuttered in place, and Maki automatically knew the fate of the rare bear her senior just _had_ to have. Rolling her eyes, she pushed the button, forcing it down along with Nico's gaze.

"What did you do?!" Nico shouted, turning angrily. The bear on her head jerked violently in sync, throwing his hands up. Maki crossed her arms, shoving her eyes to another section of the small arcade. Koji-san, the ever patient (or not) man he was, stood hobbling from one foot to the other at the door, checking his watch every so often.

Maki sighed and played with her hair. "You were taking long, and it's getting late. Come on, we have to go," she said, not bothering to watch the claw sink into the sea of other bears. Nico bared her not-so vicious fangs, but before she could drive her nails into Maki's neck, they saw a shimmering doll rise from the depths of the machine. It was almost like an angel.

It was dropped into the prize box like a potato sack, ruining the moment and forcing their eyes off of each other. Maki gave Nico a little grin that almost earned an apology, but the older girl simply scoffed, reaching for it and taking out the silver bear. Its fur was a soft silver, with stars on its paws and a cute little red ribbon tied around its neck. Unlike Nico's lazy-eyed bear, this one had bright, blue-colored spheres that looked like galaxies.

"One-in-a-million," Nico stated, patting it from any dirt and smirking in Maki's direction.

"Yeah, yeah, super lucky, now let's go already," she lectured, beginning her trek to the fidgety Koji-san. Nico caught up to her soon after, still marveling at the shiny new stuffed toy in her hands. Maki thought it was childish; a waste of money.

Then, something soft touched her cheek. Something cold. Maki froze in place at an awkward angle, trying to figure out what was touching her face while Nico's red eyes came into view. Maki glanced to the side to see the bear's face pushed up against her cheek, the fur brushing against her skin. It's cold plastic nose warming up against her now red-hot face. She blinked, and Nico blinked. And then everything was grey.

"What are you-!?"

Maki shoved the bear from her vision, ignoring how Nico had run up to Koji-san, making faces at her all the while her supposed father-figure laughed at her. She pouted, tightly clenching the bear by its neck and eventually picking up speed to the others.

"Now Maki-chan," Nico said, poking her cheek with the red bear's paw. Maki frowned, feeling like bags were beginning to form under her eyes. Nico drained the _life_ out of her by the minute, and Maki just wanted to sleep and make the room go silent. "You make sure to take care of Sebastian. He's gonna need a warm, loving home to go to every night after work."

_Sebastian. What are we - eleven?_

Maki closed her eyes. "Why don't _you_ take him home then? I'm sure you've got kids who'd love this stuff," she said, pushing Sebastian away from her. Maki didn't do stuffed toys - they were stupid, childish, useless.

And most of all, they didn't replace the presence of her parents like the tabloids advertised.

Nico groaned. "You know someone like Sebastian - I mean come on his name is _Sebastian_! - can only be comfortable in a royal setting. Nice chandeliers, giant baths, champagne every meal…" she rolled her hand as if anything else she said would be useless, and Maki simply fell limp. Nico had a really big agenda against people with money it seemed. Just for a second, Maki wondered if Nico really liked her as a friend, or if it was just some ruse to lure her into something even bigger.

But then she remembered this was Nico, and Nico was too stupid to come up with some master plan.

"Fine," she released with a soft breath, feeling lighter now that Nico had stopped talking. The red bear Nico had laying in her lap suddenly came into view, this time with Nico snickering to herself. "No, I'm not taking that one. You're lucky I took this guy," she said with a slight edge in her voice.

Nico shook her head. "Come on, Sebastian needs to say goodbye to Rocky," she urged, shaking her bear from side to side, waiting for Maki to respond.

_Oh god why. Why give me this kind of person. _

"Goodnight, Sebastian," Nico began, tilting her head in sync with her bear. Maki gulped and lifted the silver-starry bear towards the other girl's hand, coming to a halt the moment their noses were touching.

And, at that moment, Maki and Nico locked eyes as well. Maki could hear her heartbeat, shaking her bones and forcing tremors in her hand the longer she stared into Nico's bright gaze. "G…"

"Goodnight, Rocky." Maki looked away, her face going purple from how much blood was rushing to it. She had the urge to push Nico out of the car and run over the bears currently tormenting her fluttering feelings. They were _everywhere_, spilling across her lap and trying to make themselves obvious, yet she ignored them in favor of glaring at the chuckling third-year.

Nico smiled, and reached her arms around Maki's neck to give her a light hug, their bears squishing between them and hugging in odd places.

"I'll text you in the morning," Nico whispered, knowing Koji-san couldn't hear them but not wanting to be loud. "Goodnight, Maki-chan."

And then she was gone. Maki barely had a chance to respond properly before the door shut, leaving a tinted Nico in her vision, slowly walking away from her.

00

"Oh, hey Papa," Maki blurted when she walked in, frightened by the sight of the man taking off his slippers at the base of the stairs. Her eyes widened and she instinctively hid Sebastian behind her bag, not wanting to let anybody see him.

Her father, looking scraggly and tired yet still so strong, smiled, patting her on the head. "Hey. Shocked we're home before you?" he asked, allowing her to pass him and enter the kitchen. Usually, it was empty. Tonight, the lights were on, and food - actually cooked, warm food, sat on the table. Maki could feel her stomach rumbling.

"A little," she murmured, turning around to see her mother running a hand through her hair, a towel spread across her shoulders. Maki rubbed her eyes. She needed to know when she'd wake up.

"They're doing an inspection tomorrow morning, so all the staff got to leave early while they do some clean ups. We have to be back on the floor soon though, seeing as we pretty much own the place now…." Her mother laughed and poked Maki's nose, "No more of that face, Maki-chan. We told you about how it'd get stuck like that."

Freezing up, she dropped her things and covered her face with her palms, as if it'd stop the process somehow. Her parents chuckled until her father caught wind of the shiny bear laying across Maki's feet.

"Oh? Did you buy this today?" he asked, lifting it up. Sebastian's limbs rocked from the movement, his ever-present smile staring Maki's father in the face.

"Uh, yeah. I went with a friend to the arcade… and I won this," she explained weakly. Technically, she did. Because she pushed the button. Nico didn't win it for her.

They nodded, and her mother gestured to the things still on the floor. "Go get cleaned up and we can have dinner," she said, eyeing her daughter suspiciously, but letting it go once Maki nodded, hurrying to pick up her bag.

It was an odd dinner. They talked, laughed, pretended like they were a close family. Maki honestly felt like she had been sucked into a mind-boggling illusion. But before they could even say their goodnights, Maki's father stopped her, urging her to come into the still-small living room, gesturing to the corner of the room. Maki froze, and her toes went cold. Her stomach grumbled in anxiousness.

"We know it's been a while, and your old piano is… well," he began, jumping when his wife smacked him in the chest. "Anyway, we just wanted to let you know we did remember - and well, here it is!"

The tarp Maki wished had revealed nothing was pulled off, revealing something black. Shiny. New. Brand name.

Probably the best non-concert grand piano money could buy. And it was all hers. Maki wanted to cry, but nothing came out - and not only because she was shocked they upgraded from a standard upright piano to… to _this_, but..

Because it basically rendered her work with Nico useless. They're combined efforts had been crushed and pummelled into dust in mere seconds. And she didn't know what to say.

"Th-thank you..!" she yelled, falling to her knees. Maki didn't cry, but she sure felt like she would combust with guilt at any moment. Her father mimicked her movements and patted her head, bringing it to his chest and softly rubbing her back.

"Ah, it's no problem. We love hearing you play," he said, forcing her to close her eyes. Maki wanted to run into her room. And whether she'd scream in happiness or frustration depended on how much they'd make her feel guilty. "So please practice everyday until the concert."

Maki nodded, and after staring at the piano, just begging her to play it, for over twenty minutes, Maki went into her room to study.

Except she didn't study. In fact, she just hopped into bed and stared at the ceiling. One hand was carrying Sebastian, the other buried within her blankets. Violet eyes, weary from school, Nico's antics and the recent surprise presence of a new grand piano, simply blinked in rhythm.

"What do I do?" she asked the silver-smiling bear, who offered no support. Sebastian's smile was beginning to irritate her; she wondered when the day would come when her room would explode in fluff. But then she stared into his galaxy-like eyes and felt like she was floating in space, touching the stars and watching as they fizzled out the moment her skin made contact with them. They were brittle things, rolling around her in waves, trying to get closer to her, yet standing far enough away that she couldn't harm them.

She rolled to the side and broke the illusion, watching her phone simply sit on the nightstand, charging. No blinking indicator. Nico hadn't messaged her at all since dropping her off, but Maki knew she'd find one in the morning. Clutching Sebastian closer to her chest, Maki frowned, burying her face behind the small of his back.

It was almost comforting, if it didn't smell like Nico. Everywhere.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

I would have described the piano more, but I'm a lazy author. Just think of a super expensive-looking, shiny grand piano with perfect tunes and keys and there ya go.

Maki's in trouble.


	18. Unrequested Help

This would have been out earlier. But you know. I'm lazy.

HonoMaki: I'm glad you like the story! Not sure if I'm going to write about HonoMaki though. It's a close friendship I support a lot! I just can't see Maki with anybody but Nico; and I can't see Honoka dating any of the girls.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Seventeen: Unrequested Help**_

* * *

Maki gulped, repeating the motions of brushing her hair in the mirror once more before the static caused by the constant action sent strands of red hair into orbit. Her parents were gone, Sebastian lay neatly tucked against some of her pillows, and Maki could have sworn she heard the sound of someone running up and down her porch. Even though they technically didn't have one.

She sighed. There was no reason to be so jittery. None at all. "All she did was ask a question," Maki told her reflection. The other girl staring back at her held an expression that didn't express her morning grogginess. Instead, she wore a face that held excitement. Happiness.

And it was all because of this:

_Morning Maki-chan. What do you think of walking to school together?_

A single question, asked in such a casual, suggestive way, sent Maki into hysterics from the moment her eyes opened. It was almost like Nico wanted her to drop dead from a heart attack. Maki could've sworn Nico was over hanging out with her yesterday. To read such a text made her want to yell into her pillow.

Looking back at the conversation, Maki wanted to kick her past self for such stupid decisions. She always boldly stated or did things that she really didn't want to. "Stupid stupid…" she grumbled, tossing her phone to her bed, where it smacked Sebastian straight in the face. All she did was reply with her address - she hadn't even responded properly!

That was why, when her phone lit up again and the doorbell rang, Maki threw all logic out the window in favor of tripping down the short flight of stairs. Their cook had a day off - so she didn't have to worry about anybody making Nico feel awkward. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Maki let out a breath and shook her body to make sure there were no jitters that'd inevitably embarrass her in front of Nico.

"Are you sure she allowed this?" she heard Koji-san outside the door, the slight tap of his fist on the door shadowed over by the loud slam of Nico's small fist. For a tiny person, she sure packed a punch.

"Hey Maki-chan!" Nico yelled when the door opened, the loud boom of her voice causing Maki to grip her ear. Koji-san made a sound in his throat behind her. Maki looked at him in confusion, and he frowned at her. "This guy says I'm not allowed to escort you to school," Nico pouted, pointing at the suddenly flustered man. His hat was tipping off his head as his body went rigid.

"I said no such thing!" he argued back, sounding twenty times younger and looking like he wanted to rip Nico's mouth from her face; if the blush on his nose said anything. Maki smiled. At least they shared a common interest about Nico. "If she says it's okay I suppose it's okay for the _morning_. But please make sure to contact me if this happens again."

Nico let out a smug little laugh of pure evil. "Yeah yeah, well if_ I _have a say in this, I'll take her to school everyday!"

"You will not!"

"Okay stop," Maki groaned, pinching her nose. It was too early for arguments. "Koji-san, I'll try to text or call next time…" She trailed off as a thought went through her head, but the moment she was about to continue, Nico shooed her driver away, his grumbling heard from even inside the car. But he wasn't angry, Maki knew. He was surely just in need of some coffee.

Nico turned to her and waved again, and all thoughts of Koji-san were gone in favor of tiny hearts and smiles. "Hey," she said coolly, trying to brush off the fact that she had just threatened to run Koji-san out of a job. In Nico's other hand was a rather large lunch box, bigger than the ones she usually brought to school. Which reminded her…

"That bento. I still need to give it to you," Maki blurted, taking a step back to head into the kitchen when Nico took her hand, stopping her. Red eyes, so full of light and overly happy, drank in Maki's rather flustered sight, and Nico shook her head. Maki felt like she had just been judged.

"Ah it's fine. Keep it! Anyway come on, slacker! Do you _want_ to be late for school?"

Maki turned from the door after ensuring it was locked and saw Nico taking in the rather large - still small in Maki's eyes - house that pretty much stomped her apartment into dust in terms of luxury. "Wow," Nico said, throwing her arms behind her head as they walked, their steps small and calm. Maki had checked her watch and could confirm that _no_, they wouldn't be late for school, because they didn't start for nearly two more hours. They could do without the running for the morning. "Didn't know you lived so high-class. But I could just _tell_ you were the Ojou-sama type. Want me to call you that from now on?"

"Definitely not," Maki instantly replied, sneering at her for a second and looking away at the empty roads. Nico chuckled to herself and kept the peace between them, saying nothing more to tease her. They listened to the crunch of the pavement against their shoes, Nico wearing worn sneakers and Maki wearing her polished school shoes. She didn't like leaving her things in a locker. Too dangerous.

"So you like piano," Nico said after a few minutes. Maki hummed. "Why?"

The redhead almost stopped in place, wanting to make sure what she heard was correct. Of all people, she thought Nico would be the last to even care about her interests. After all, Nico didn't need to care - she didn't even need to associate herself with Maki anymore. "Uh... " she dumbly let out, scratching her cheek as she thought. It wasn't like she didn't know, but it was also something she didn't think was very important.

"There was a guy," she slowly started, keeping her eyes on the many bike racks surrounding them. They were passing a middle school she didn't know was nearby. That would explain the many people riding bikes across her street. Maki didn't know why they were there so early either, she chalked it up to dedication. "He played at a lot of places Papa used to drink at."

Nico grinned. "Wow, so daddy's a drinker, eh?" Her question went ignored as Maki didn't react the way she usually would, the redhead keeping her eyes on the surrounding areas. Maki knew her father didn't drink a lot. At least, she hoped he didn't. "Okay, go on?"

"That's it. I watched him once, liked it a lot and decided to be like him. It's not really anything special you know?"

"That's really special! Only _you_ would ever think like that, of course," Nico said, gently shoving her with her shoulder. Maki rolled her eyes. "So what's the guy's name?"

It was then that Maki blinked, mind going white. "I can't remember. But I know he doesn't make music anymore," she sighed, slumping her shoulders. "It's a shame, he was really talented."

"Well you gotta let me hear him someday! If he influenced you this much. It's like needing to check out the book of a movie, right?" Nico asked, her voice getting louder and louder with each word that came from her mouth. Maki wanted to tape it shut, but at the same time, she enjoyed the sound of it. Without Nico there, the walk would surely be silent, and a little lonely.

Nico smiled again, averting her eyes to the brightening sky. The younger girl wondered what was going through her head, but shook off the thought, deciding to just continue walking in silence. A quiet Nico was a good Nico.

But speaking of pianos, Maki gulped, biting her cheek. How would she bring it up, or should she bring it up at all? Nico wanted to hear her play, but did it need to be so soon? Maki knew she had to come up with some excuse to avoid going into the abandoned classroom today, and everyday thereafter. Something Nico couldn't fight or question.

It was something she pondered until Nico pulled on her jacket, bringing her body to a standstill as a wave of cars passed the street, blowing against her face and injecting smog into her nostrils. Maki turned to stare at Nico with a blank expression, the older student looking away at an advertisement.

"Thanks," Maki said, noticing how Nico's grip hadn't loosened at all until Maki stared at the small hand long enough. Nico didn't reply, but it was evident by the small smile on her face that she heard Maki.

"Are you in any clubs at all?" Maki asked as they crossed the street, the thought finally making its way out of her mouth. "You have a lot of free time after school, so I'm guessing no."

Nico laughed. "I was!" she answered loudly. It shocked the redhead, already being used to Nico's silence. "But not enough people joined, so I had to kinda shut it down…" There was a flash of something odd in Nico's expression - weak? No, not quite. Maki had to really concentrate on the image imprinted in her head, but could come up with nothing. Instead, she sighed and kept her eyes on the train station before them. It had been a while, but Maki was almost used to the mechanical motions of using them.

Swipe card, walk through, enter train.

"What kind of club?" she asked. Maki wanted to know why she was asking Nico so many questions. She never expressed such interest in a person to care about their hobbies, or ask about their past. Yet Nico had this little veil of mystery around her that just begged to be investigated. Maki almost wanted to don a plaid beret and a monocle as she nearly interrogated her senior.

Nico hummed this time, tapping the heel of her sneaker against the wall. "Just something related to idols," she answered calmly. Of course. The fact that slipped Maki's mind was almost laughable. _Of course. _

"Ah."

And that was the end of the conversation. Just being near Nico - being beside her, was enough for Maki to be content with the train ride. She fiddled with her phone, sending a quick text to Koji-san about picking her up, and stuffed it back into her bag. The train wasn't as empty as she expected, but it was less dense with people than usual, and that made it more… breathable.

The buildings they passed, the people and bikers and shopkeepers were all new sights to her. Maki wasn't used to seeing so much all at once, just passing by like it was all normal. Even though it was, Maki was used to the black windows of Koji-san's car and the bright screen of her phone. She glanced at the other girl, hoping she hadn't fallen asleep; she could feel Nico's weight settling into her shoulder.

Nico wasn't really looking at anything, but she did have earbuds in her ears with her eyes closed, something Maki hadn't noticed. They were close to their stop, but her curiosity took over, and she popped one out to bring it to her ear, licking her lips as her cheek touched Nico's.

_Instead of the main plot, it's a side story (Hey now!)_

_Fix your habit of going on ahead (I'm over here)_

Her bottom eyelid twitched at the sound of the overly… awkward sounding pop song Nico was listening to. Maki wanted to question if it was even a real song. But then she recognized the voice, and could really question the merit of idols. Sonoda Umi didn't seem the type to sing… _this_. But then again, if they needed money she supposed they'd do anything.

"_Love Novels_. Released like a week ago," Nico said, one eye opening to watch Maki fidget awkwardly, blushing at being caught. "Apparently she wrote it herself and finished within a few days."

Maki coughed, releasing the earphone from her grasp, letting it sink against Nico's chest. "It's…" she began, not knowing where her words were. Maki wasn't going to say she liked it. But since Nico was a fan she didn't want to offend her either. Nico giggled and put away her music player, allowing a few seconds for Maki to regain her breath. "Really romantic," Maki finally said. Umi looked more like a person who kept their love life away from their work, but again, she guessed wrong.

"Sure," Nico stifled laughter, ignoring how Maki was obviously insulted and ready to yell at any moment. The train slid to a smooth stop not long after, and the topic was dropped. Maki was surprised when Nico took her hand, dragging out of her seat and out the doors, as if they really were in a hurry to get to school on time.

Maki lightly pulled against Nico's advances, trying to pry her hand away and put in distance between them, but Nico was surprisingly strong, not allowing a millimeter of Maki's hand to slip. As if Maki had somewhere to run off to now that the school was minutes away. She secretly wished Nico wasn't so…

Well, aggressive. It was really tiring, having to deal with it all the time.

"Okay, here we are!" Nico announced as they approached Otonokizaka. There was nobody around. For miles. Maki wanted to slam her forehead into the wall that made up the school gates, or hit Nico with the plaque of the school's name. The third year walked towards the school, ignoring how Maki was making noises of annoyance until they got around the main building, Maki curiously gazing at the one where her guilt stood proud.

She wondered if the person who used to own it had to abandon it as well. But that thought was shoved aside, at least because Nico was staring at her so intently and with such a happy smile on her face that Maki couldn't think straight. Nico's smile lured her into the room, and the door was shut behind her without a sound.

"Why are we here?" Maki impatiently asked, crossing her arms. It was awkward being in this room now that she had no reason to come back. Maybe Nico wanted to torture her a little bit; maybe she wanted Maki to spill the beans, and was adding salt to the wound by bringing her here.

Nico pressed her shoulder into Maki's arm, urging her away from the door and towards the slightly dirty bench. "Just sit," she said, setting down the large lunch box on the usual desk. For a split second, Maki wondered what was going on, or if she was dreaming. Nico was being awfully strange, and it slightly hurt her more and more knowing she had to eventually tell her about her new arrangements.

When Nico turned around, she bumped Maki aside with her hip and slid on the bench with her, cracking her knuckles. "So, you wanna learn a new song for Mr. Whatsit?" she asked, rolling her head and getting a few pops out of it. Maki wanted to comment on the gross sound, but stayed quiet when her question reached her ears.

The morning sun had just began to sluggishly lift itself into the horizon, making the room glow a dull yellow. But Nico was radiant; she was cheerful and sunny and ready and willing to lend Maki a hand. Judging by the way Nico leaned closer, wanting to see inside Maki's head, it was clear she needed to answer quickly.

"Not want to, Nico-chan. I have to," she corrected with a tiny cough. Nico shrugged, and Maki had to roll her eyes. "Why? You can churn out original compositions within a week?" She wanted to emphasize what little Nico could actually do, considering she wasn't exactly a musician. Idols weren't the same thing no matter what anyone said. She'd fight Nico if that ever came out of the girl's mouth.

With a little wink, and a tiny smirk, Nico patted her on the thigh despite the shaky state of her eyes. "No need to worry! Now, what kinda song we talking here?"

"Er… song? Um…" Maki fiddled with her fingers. She didn't expect Nico to just barge into her orchestra life and suddenly label herself as Maki's tutor.

_What kind of songs do I want to write? Angry ones? Romantic..._

They turned to each other; the silence begging for Nico's attention, and Maki slipping in her thoughts. Their noses touched, eyes going wide and lips thinning; they could feel each other's breaths. Maki's heart stopped dead in her chest, going silent as she watched Nico drink in all her features. It was embarrassing. Soon, the two girls found themselves sitting on the opposite edges of the piano bench. Nico cleared her throat but it was obvious how it had put her concentration off-balance. Maki wasn't faring very well either, trying to control her breathing but not quite remembering _how _to.

_Absolutely not romantic!_

Nico pushed a few keys with her right hand, her left hanging limp on her lap. Maki was almost put off by the strange sight; if Nico knew how to play - why hadn't she mentioned it before?

But then she realized: her mom had briefly said something about her playing, hadn't she? And Nico could obviously read scores, since she knew Maki was composing (or used to) piano sheets in her spare time before. Maki wanted to hit herself on the head with her binder, but shook her head instead, opting to listen to Nico play a little tune. Some car jingle.

Her small fingers were able to seamlessly overlap each other, despite how difficult it usually was for even Maki, who was twice as tall. Maki examined Nico's features as she played idly, tilting her head from side to side and sometimes smiling when she forgot something. It was really enchanting, watching Nico be so focused, so… real. Raw.

Maki wasn't afraid to even admit Nico looked stunning. She looked like the older third year she actually was, not that… idol persona she liked to pretend to be. The fake Nico all the men raged about.

Her right hand rose to brush Nico's bangs unconsciously, stopping the little bits of music from coming. Maki, with a bright red blush on her face, stole her hand back and forced her left one onto the keyboard, mimicking Nico's previous actions. It was still silent, like saying a single thing would somehow ruin the mood.

What _mood_? Maki almost scoffed. There was nothing to be had between them. After all, Nico was probably the scraps _after_ the bottom of the barrel. Maki wouldn't stoop so low as to reach for mere scraps. Definitely.

Hesitant fingers danced, deep notes forming on her end, while Nico handled the higher ones, a sloppy, thrown together mess of notes tossed in the air as they attempted to play a song - any song, together. Maki giggled at the horrid sounds being produced, while Nico had a look of seriousness on her face, her fingers smashing any notes while trying to sync with Maki.

Eventually, they were able to emulate a children's poem, with no more than fifteen notes, within ten minutes.

Leaning back, Nico turned to grin at her. "Feel better?" she asked, stretching her arms. Maki hummed, feeling satisfied and energized from their horrid attempt at music. It was almost like a miracle, how effective it was. Simply pressing any keys and acting, well, like they didn't know what they were doing was actually…

Fun.

"I guess," she eventually said, checking her watch. They still had thirty minutes. Maki took a look at Nico again, this time smiling genuinely as she watched her bathing in the sunlight, looking like she was having the time of her life simply sitting in a stuffy piano room. "Is that why you brought me here?"

"No."

Nico looked at the door, seeing a few students pass by. After waiting until nobody was around again, she smiled. "You looked and sounded like someone killed your cat all morning," she said with a sigh, laughing a little to herself as her feet swung back and forth. Maki almost choked on her spit. "I just figured this would help you feel better."

There was nothing she could say to that, because Nico was right. Maki wanted to stuff the truth away, and pretend like nothing was wrong, but it was always going to be there. Haunting and tormenting her until she gave in and told Nico. "You guessed right," she admitted, softly running her hands across the keys. They were clean, sparkling. A little peppered with fingerprints, but that was okay. Because they had.. they had fun.

And now it was going to be taken away. She wanted to lean against Nico and ponder her situation, but decided not to. That'd probably be taken the wrong way and she didn't want that.

Maki jumped when she felt something touch her right hand, forcing her to look at Nico. The third year, looking so older and so mature, smiled, slipping her fingers into the gaps in Maki's. It was silent save for the little bits of gasps as Maki took in the information, feeling every movement as their hands tightly held each other.

"We should probably go to class," she said, trying to come off as unaffected. But oh, she knew Nico had already seen her, ripening like a tomato and steaming like a lobster. Her senior hummed and came off the bench, forcing Maki to stand.

Even if she had to carry her bag and her large bento box, Nico never let her grip loosen for even a second. It might have even tightened as they passed the incoming students, ignoring their presence like they were the only two at school.

"I'll see you at lunch," Nico said casually, red eyes locking with violet in a soft, elderly-like stare. Maki gulped and nodded, keeping silent until Nico walked away, allowing her to breathe and loosen up and clear her head.

"Morning Maki-chan, nya!"

"Good morning!"

Or not. That was okay too.

* * *

Eli sighed against her notebook, wanting it to explode and fill with feathers and allow her a good night's rest that she missed out on. All because a _certain_ idol was going to star in some game show meant for hippies and their uncles and she wanted to watch.

"Morning," Nico casually called, bopping her on the head with her bento. Eli murmured something on her desk, but it went ignored as Nico opened up her phone and shot a quick text to someone before shutting it off. "Look at our President. Sleeping in class and on her notebook to boot. For _shame_."

The other students sent her pointed looks; Nico wasn't as close to Eli as she let on. Nozomi was really the one who brought them together, but she'd be lying if she said she disliked Eli.

"Ah, Elicchi, you're not setting a very good example for your students are you?" said Nozomi asked, swiping her hand behind Nico's head. The smaller third year almost shrieked, not having noticed the other girl standing behind her.

Their student council president sighed in her arms, allowing her rather sickly pale face and dull blue eyes to explain why she was such a mess. "Why didn't you tell me this is what would happen?" she whined to her purple-haired friend, Nozomi gently stroking the top of her head.

"Well, you wanted to see her _really_ bad, I couldn't say no to your pouty face," Nozomi giggled. Eli leaned (more like fell) into her touch and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep on her chest. She loudly grumbled, reaching out to her when Nozomi took a step back. Nico grimaced and hurried to her seat, knowing she'd fail at stomaching the raging hormones of her classmates.

It was a while before their teacher walked in a hurry, literally slamming the door open and alarming his students before tapping his chalkboard. He didn't even give them a chance to bow or greet them at all. "Morning," he quickly said, playing with the tips of his fingers.

"Before I begin the lesson, we're having a transfer student join our class," he said, alerting the blonde president. Eli all but jumped in her seat, going white while Nozomi stopped her trek to her seat a few inches away from Nico. At the door, wearing a unform much like theirs and holding a stern expression, was Sonoda Umi.

The idol who would smile and give charming smirks, or nobly accept jobs at maid cafes, was suddenly giving them the hardest glare it seemed she could muster. Their classmates gasped and slammed their hands onto their desks, millions of thoughts running through their heads.

"Hello," she began, sounding so unlike the girl Nico had spoken to it was almost scary, "I'm Sonoda Umi. Since now I've been homeschooled by my parents. I look forward to interacting with you." Her glare and frown was replaced by a bright smile and a wink in Eli's direction. The blonde smiled back, albeit looked just as confused as everyone else.

Nico wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming by pinching both sides of her cheek, and then tossed all logic out the window as she literally yelled in confusion.

"EHHH?!"

* * *

_**A/N:**_

"Konetsu you're writing Umi all wrong."

I probably am. Because it's legit 3 AM and I have been up for almost 20 hours trying to get that SR Umi and ignoring my medicine. What have I done. Why can't I take care of myself.

The good news is: college year just ended. This means more time to write n' stuff. So look forward to that.

Thanks for reading!


	19. Otonokizaka Fanfare

NozoEliUmi? I hadn't considered that before - it's very interesting though!

However, it's a little late to change the ending of this side story…

Sorry this is late! I recently made a tumblr and I've been really engrossed with it.

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Eighteen: Otonokizaka Fanfare**_

* * *

Sonoda Umi stood proud before the group of teenagers, keeping her bag close to her chest, and her eyes on the gaping blonde just feet away from her. It was almost like she didn't care about anybody but Eli in the room, although she did spare Nico and Nozomi glances. Just not like the ones she sent the student council president. Their classmates tried to avoid causing a ruckus, but it was evident by the sudden fidgeting and little shakes of their shoulders that they were ecstatic to welcome her.

It was another minute of silence before Eli stood to guide her to a seat, gently placing her hand on the idol's shoulder. Umi lowered her hand and followed her, sitting at a desk right across from Nozomi, who simply gave her a thumbs up and shuffled her tarot cards. Eli glanced at the quick motions and sighed. Even during a special occasion, Nozomi was always touching those cards.

Umi scanned the rest of the class, as if judging each of them as they gaped up at her, huge smiles burned into their skin. The idol's hair flipped behind her, and she nearly collided into Eli as she pointed to the only empty seat in the room, near the back end. It was evident Umi wasn't very happy with the arrangements given her slight frown, but she bowed anyway, slipping into the seat quickly.

Their teacher coughed, getting their attention once more before tapping his lesson plan, meaning they had to get their notebooks out. Eli went back to her seat and glanced nervously at the serious-looking Umi. It was one of her most scary expressions.

In the back of the room, just a few seats away from Umi, Nico was shaking in her seat, trying hard to keep her presence to a minimum and failing to listen to the beginning of some lecture. Her eyes trailed over to Eli, who was having an even harder time. She looked like she wanted to pass out, yet kept her eyes on Umi. Their new classmate was diligently taking notes, not even breaking a sweat at the boring drawl nobody cared for.

"She better not remember me…" Nico murmured, scribbling lines in her notebook, recalling how she pretty much fainted at the maid cafe, and had been embarrassingly stupid at the train station.

But then one thought kept her from drawing a deformed Nozomi getting hit by a deformed tarot card: why was Umi in this class? As far as she knew (and Nico knew a lot because she was a genius), Umi was only sixteen, so she should have been in the second-year classroom. Or even the first-year one, considering she was new to public school at all.

"Yazawa, tell me the methods of his MO based on this paragraph," her teacher called, tapping his little book on her shoulder. Her notebook had nothing but squiggly lines and half of a weird-looking Nozomi, nothing pertaining the lesson at all. Nico roughly laughed and closed her notebook, hoping he hadn't memorized the awful drawing - or recognized it at all.

But he did, and he sent Nozomi an odd stare, the purple-haired student looking up in confusion. After a few seconds of steady silence, he bopped her on the head, "Yazawa, please keep up with your studies. Entrance exams are soon."

Nico sighed and dragged her notebook over her head, pressing her skin into the cold wood. She'd give anything to get rid of this awkward aura surrounding her classroom. Nico knew the moment they had a break, Umi was going to be surrounded by her fans, or by curious annoying girls already planning some scheme to win her friendship.

She sighed, sending a flutter of papers upwards, shielding her view of her glaring teacher. Life wasn't a shoujo manga, so she didn't know what to expect, exactly. Nico pouted, and turned her head to stare out the window. Across the courtyard and at the ground floor of the school was Maki's class, bringing a little smile on her face. Nico wondered if Maki had a window seat. It would have been great to see her across the school all day. It would have been someone to talk to, at least.

"Yazawa! Pay attention, please!"

Nico groaned, knowing that at this rate, Umi was bound to recognize her.

The moment their homeroom teacher closed his lesson plan for the day, and stepped out with a rather annoyed expression, Nico could swear it was like lions attacking a poor hyena. Umi yelped as they surrounded and loomed over her, scary expressions forcing her to lean back in fear. Almost immediately, Eli had stood to reprimand them, but wobbled in place and had to take a few seconds to regain her footing. Nozomi peered up at her from her seat, tapping her pencil to her notebook. Nico was surprised she hadn't shot up to assist the president sooner.

"Sonoda-san! Sonoda-san!" a girl squealed, giving no other input aside from annoying admiration. It was clear this was something Umi was used to, despite the face of confusion she wore. Nico twirled her pen in her hand and fought the jealous sigh coming up her throat. Of course Umi was going to get this kind of attention, she was a super popular idol after all. It was only natural.

But also annoying. They swarmed her with questions, some of them a little too personal for Nico's tastes she almost choked. Covering her head with the next class's notebook, Nico tried to tune out the oddly calming answers Umi had probably repeated a million times.

"Hey Nicocchi," Nozomi greeted once lunch break finally arrived. Nico was grinding her pencil into her desk, creating a rather large and dark hole that would no doubt get her in trouble. At first Nico ignored her, still letting her pencil tear away at the poor desk until Nozomi reached over to cease her movements. "Nicocchi."

Red eyes, bleary from staring out the window so much, maneuvered over Nozomi's confused features. Behind the taller girl, Umi was being asked by six different girls to lunch, looking around to find Eli who was trying to steady her head on her bag. "What?" Nico nearly hissed, trying to ignore the sting in her chest as Nozomi flashed a look of shock. She shook her head and looked down at the courtyard, Maki pacing around the large tree like she was chasing after her tail.

"I gotta go," she sighed. But before she could move, Nozomi pressed her palm into her shoulder. Green eyes slowly fidgeted before they fell to Umi, who was trying to avoid the pestering as much as she could. The mere presence of her brought about a lot more noise to the normally silent classroom. Stepping out of her desk, Nico stared down the groupies suddenly interested in hanging around the class, and paused just for a second to glance at Nozomi.

Only to find her giving Eli her usual googly eyes. Nico sighed, and stuffed her hands into her pockets, approaching them with the loud grumble of her clearing her throat. They all stopped their advances on the red-faced idol, nearly turning their personalities upside down the moment they laid eyes on Nico.

"Yes, Yazawa-san?" one of them asked, flipping her hair as if Nico had no right to even look their way.

Nico shrugged, pointing to Umi, who was cooling down and had a look of realization on her face. Great. She must have remembered. "Look, it's cool we have an idol here and all, but… you're smothering her. Give her some breathing room!" she said with a casual tone. "She's going to be here pretty much everyday, eventually it'll be old news."

Umi also nodded, crossing her arms. "Thank you. I appreciate the excitement over my being here, but I honestly would like to just have a normal school life. If you'll excuse me." She bowed quickly, giving Nico a smile before automatically orbiting towards the sleeping blonde. Nozomi quickly hushed her before shaking her head, and Umi had slowly walked to the door after a brief exchange with the vice-president.

"Oh crap!" Nico shouted, hair going wild as she remembered the first-year she had left alone in the courtyard doing who knows what. Quickly grabbing her things and the overly large lunch box, Nico skidded to the door, stopping just as she saw Maki standing there, arms crossed and school bag sitting at her feet. By the look on her face, Nico could easily tell something was bothering her, and it seemed to take no less than two seconds of more staring until Maki was dragging her down the hallway, ignoring anybody in her way.

"Wh-whoa, Maki-chan!" she protested, feeling the bones in her arm bend by the sheer force of Maki's grip. But she did not let up, especially when they finally got outside, their usual spot now quiet and surrounded by shade. Nico could see the footprints surrounding the trunk. Maybe she got dizzy.

Dusting herself and taking her usual spot, Nico shook herself from the dramatic run Maki forced her into, and watched her hesitate in her steps before falling onto the bench. "You seem really panicked now. What happened after you went to class?" Nico asked, untying their food for the day. She was glad nobody had noticed or asked, and was even more glad that Maki simply accepted it.

Maki sighed and poked a hole through the juice box Nico handed her, biting the straw. "My classmates think I'm a born-again Beethoven, thanks to those two loudmouths," she hissed, recalling how loud Rin had announced it to the class. The amount of appreciation and awe thrust upon her was worrying. Maki didn't want the approval of her mere classmates, and now she had to be stuck as some music prodigy with brains.

Two loudmouths, Nico figured were the two other close girls Maki happened to befriend. "Well, can't help it now," she said, licking her lips before she bit into a cute octo-weiner. Maki took dainty bites, but eventually tuned out her thoughts to actually eat. So they sat in an odd silence - one that wasn't too comfortable, but neither was it awkward. Nico kicked her feet, trying to keep the peace.

"Oh yeah, Sonoda Umi's in my class now."

"She's what."

So much for that.

* * *

"Oh my god, Hanayo-chan!" Saito screamed upon slamming the first-year's door open. The small amount of students jumped upon seeing the boy scramble up to the rice-eating girl, heaving until he had to put his hands to his knees. Hanayo titled her head and Rin clapped her chopsticks together, a tiny cup of ramen sitting before her while noodles were hanging from her lips. "You'll never guess…!"

He placed both hands on Hanayo's shoulders and went serious. "Sonoda Umi-chan. She's in our school. Right now. She's a student! A student!" he said, smashing the serious image to squeal like a girl. Hanayo's rice fell from her grasp, tumbling off of her chest and landing back into her little lunch box. Rin slurped up her food and could only hum in confusion.

"You mean she's a student, nya?"

Saito nodded fervently, tiny breaths coming out of his nose. "This is ten times better than seeing her at some live!" he said, gently taking Hanayo's hand. "Let's go!"

"Rin-chan - "

"Go it, Kayochin! You go see Umi-chan!"

Giggling to herself, Hanayo allowed herself to be pulled out of class by the second-year, the sudden burst of information sending the hallway wild. It was like someone had just announced the school would shut down tomorrow. Or something.

* * *

Umi huffed and slammed the locker shut, covering her face in her hands and wondering where Eli was. She and Nozomi hadn't been in the classroom, and Umi had been running away from mobs for the past twenty minutes. She had requested the information be kept private, but of course some students had to spread rumors that eventually got the rest of them heated.

The door to whatever classroom she ran in squeaked, and Umi shivered at the sound of slow footsteps, coming to a halt near the bookshelf across the room. Small slits allowed Umi to look outside, but they were just barely making out the color of the walls.

"Hm… something for next year, huh…" someone hummed to themselves, the sound of fabric being smoothed out somehow soothing compared to the loud screams and wails her animalistic school was throwing at her. Umi leaned her back on the wall of the locker and sighed, covering her mouth when the sound of scissors piercing the fabric stopped. "I know the curtain was…" as the door was pulled open, Umi was forced to look down at a pair of bright brown eyes, and cute, bird-like hairstyle she had to blink at.

A small smile overcame the girl's features before her. "Ah, I didn't mean to interrupt your hiding," she said with a small laugh, closing her eyes as she grabbed the rather thick fabric from behind Umi's back. The idol gulped and watched as the girl went back to work, lining up a ruler to the tarp-like clutter leaning against the large table.

"Ko - Uh, I apologize," she said with a bow. The other girl with the pretty brown eyes blinked, stopping her motions. "I could have gone anywhere else and I've interrupted your work - "

A tiny laugh caused her to stop her rambling, and Umi looked shocked as the grey-haired girl shrugged. "Haha… it's no big deal. You looked pretty comfortable in there," she lightly teased, giving Umi a knowing stare. Her fingers reached for her highlighter, where she marked a few lines, taping others and stapled the fabric together. "I'm having lunch with a friend if you'd like to join us," she said out of the blue as if trying to coax the idol into something, Umi's hand barely scraping the doorknob before she froze.

With a hesitant sigh, Umi shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, not bothering to look back at the girl. Her shoulders trembled, hand tightly gripping the knob before she briskly walked out, closing it gently behind her.

The girl sighed and continued cutting her fabric. "Umi-chan, even now you can be so cold," she said, tossing her scissors aside to gently rub the royal blue fabric.

* * *

Maki choked upon seeing groups of people sneaking around them, constantly coming in and out of the door like they were machines. "Why are they so crazy about this?" she gestured with her hand rolling, "This Umi girl? She's just a girl…"

"She's not _just a girl_, Maki-chan. And you know it," Nico defended, poking her shoulder. "Just like you're not just a pianist. You're born-again Beethoven!" She laughed, even as Maki kicked her ankle. They had just a few minutes left, everything put away neatly. Maki was annoyed that such an enjoyable lunch had to be ruined by constant interruptions.

The final one was the most annoying. Door slamming open, followed by a couple looking left and right like dogs before their eyes fell on Maki. "You!" the boy yelled, gesturing with a dance of his fingers. "The one with the beautiful piano skills!" Maki could feel her eye twitch the moment Saito sought her out, taking calm steps towards her, although her retort died on her lips when Hanayo meekly poked her head from behind his arm.

"Don't tell me, you're looking for Sonoda Umi and think we know where she is," Nico stated, crushing her juice pouch the moment Saito lit up. "We don't. Now get moving," she said, waving her hand. They looked at Maki like she had the ultimate say in everything, and she looked away, a small blush on her face.

Hanayo bowed, but approached Maki despite Nico's advice. "Hey Maki-chan? Do you think we could hear you play today?" she asked, Saito humming loudly to agree. Maki tensed and brought her knees together, biting her lip. One of the things that bothered her to the point of pacing was this topic, and she didn't want to announce it in front of other students who weren't concerned.

"Ah… I'm not sure, haha…" she said, scratching her cheek nervously. Hanayo made a sound of disappointment but left it at that, although Maki could see she wasn't very convinced.

Saito sighed, but bowed. "But when you feel like it, you should call us!" he grinned, bending down to touch Maki's hands. Nico's eyes went wide while she bristled, and Saito quickly tapped each one of her fingers, getting an immense blush from the seated girl. "You play really good, I really wanna hear it." He gave her a charming smile before Hanayo playfully bopped his shoulder, earning a goofy grin that ruined the moment. He waved to them and began guiding Hanayo out of the courtyard and out of harm's way as they went back in to meet a huge tsunami of students.

"Hmph, whatta chump," Nico grumbled, standing up despite the time being still far off. Maki brushed her hands on her skirt. "Sweaty?" She approached her companion, hands gripping the insides of her pockets a little _too_ tightly.

"Yeah,_ he_ was," Maki winced in disgust, shaking off the previous feeling. Nico's body shielded her from the sun, and she wasn't aware of the hand being held her way until Nico shoved it into her cheek. "Come on, what are you doing?" she asked, shoving it away.

Except Nico held on. Maki let out a breathless gasp and tried to grab her things in time, seeing as the third-year was near barreling her way to the door on the opposite side of the courtyard.

_When will you tell her Maki?_

00

"Where were you?" Umi deadpanned, standing over El's desk. Nozomi was at her desk, playing a fortune telling game with another student. Brown eyes glazed over her, eyebrows furrowing before she glared at the sleepy blonde who was barely able to hold herself up. Sighing, Umi shook her head and let it go, patting her friend on the shoulder before she too went to sit at her seat.

Nico walked in not long after, giddy and nearly skipping if it hadn't been for the slight bump at the doorway, sending her lunch box flying and tumbling into a boy's lap. Most of them ignored it, brushing it off as a Nico-thing, but others couldn't help but scoff at her.

Eli smiled from within her arms, wondering where such a bright attitude came from as Nico quickly got her box back without issue and sat in her seat, flowers and rainbows surrounding her. There was a story there, and she had a pretty good clue what it was.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

This is shorter than usual because this was _really_ hard to write. I got stuck on it and didn't know how to continue, but now I'm on the right track again. And I'm half-asleep so that works too.

You know, I totally forgot Otonokizaka is an all-girls' school. I seriously thought it was co-ed when I watched the anime lol. Whoops.

What should Honoka's role be? I don't wanna leave her out but I also have nothing special planned for her to bother throwing her in. I mean... even the OC male (Saito) has a major role for the ending. :x


	20. Feelings

OK!

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Nineteen: Feelings**_

* * *

The end of the day had Maki in a twisted daze. After lunch ended she was left in this odd back-and-forth between herself about telling Nico the truth. On one hand, she had to tell her about her new piano - maybe even a white lie; it was a surprise visit from some legendary grandparents she never met. Then again, Nico would probably go on some rant about how easy Maki had it and then stay silent while quietly boiling about it. Maki didn't want that.

Leaning her head on her schoolbag, Maki looked up to see Hanayo smiling at her, Rin running out of the door like hell was on her heels. She sighed. "What is it?" she asked rather calmly. Hanayo never deserved any of her backtalk, or negative tones.

"You look troubled, Maki-chan," Hanayo said, taking a seat at the desk next to hers. Their classmates had already filed out, and were on their way to clubs or home. Maki was awaiting Koji-san's message that he was outside. "Wanna talk about it?"

Maki bit her lip. It wasn't like Hanayo knew Nico, right? So if she did tell her, it's not like Nico would know the truth, or hear about it through rumors. Hanayo could be trusted.

"Well, it's a bit complicated. Lots of things are happening and I just don't know what to do about them," she sighed, twirling her pencil in hand. Hanayo hummed and nodded, and she took it as a motion to continue. "It's almost like I try to do one thing and another pops up, and I don't get as much space to just… think about it."

Hanayo tilted her head and prodded her chin with her index finger. "Are you saying you don't like keeping busy?"

Maki shrugged. "Maybe I just like having time to myself. Being… away from people. N-not that I don't enjoy being around you or Rin, but…" Hanayo's giggle interrupted her tumbling rant, and Maki sighed again, drooping her head. "Maybe I'm just… expecting too much out of..."

"Hm? Out of what?"

Maki looked up to see a teasing yet knowing gaze graze Hanayo's eyes. Like she knew exactly what Maki was going to say; she was just waiting to hear it. "Just forget it. It'll come to me, I guess..."

Hanayo rested her hand on Maki's head, and allowed her the silence she needed. Hanayo was too good. "If you need anything, just ask me or Rin-chan. We'll always back you up!" she cheerfully guided, stepping away. Maki sighed and ran a hand through her hair, wondering what to do.

Nico texted her then, the faint buzz in her bag reaching her cheek.

_Hey, I'm waiting at the gate with your driver!_

"Nico-chan's what."

00

"Maki-chan!" two voiced cried in joy, Nico and Koji-san's arms going up to greet her. Maki awkwardly waved back as the two turned to glare at each other. Nico made an effort to run up to the redhead, grabbing her hands and dragging her near the black car.

"Let's go!" Nico said, palms pushed against her shoulders and aiding her into the vehicle. Maki loudly protested, keeping her hand on the door to stop the older girl from shoving her in.

Koji-san simply laughed and allowed the manhandling. Since when was he on Nico's side? "She caught ne here before I could call you," he shrugged, turning the engine on.

Maki averted her eyes and ignored Nico's cheek pushing against her shoulder. All she could think and see was the dreaded truth sitting in her living room, waiting for Nico's eyes to catch.

"Why are you coming to my house?" Maki asked under her breath, regretting her decision to speak when Nico tilted her head.

"Hah?" the older girl asked, poking her index finger into Maki's cheek. It was like she was intentionally trying to make Maki blush. "I asked him to drop me off at my place..."

Maki's heart stopped; she laughed nervously (and very loudly at that) and patted Nico's head, pushing her away. "Yeah, I figured that..." she said with an odd pitch to her voice. She tried leaning away from Nico's smirking face and failed once her head hit the window.

"I'll get you some ice... at your house!" Nico declared, pointing to Koji-san. "Hey, we're going to Maki-chan's!"

"Sure!"

Maki groaned, but decided keeping quiet as much less straining on her head than arguing about a done deal. She sighed and rested her forehead on the window, watching Nico's reflection as she conversed with Koji-san. They seemed to be getting along well. How it happened after a brief meeting was pretty much her only question.

Her biggest fear was seeing Nico's expression once she saw her new piano.

00

"Welcome to my home, I guess," Maki drawled, opening up the door. Her parents had just left, she could feel it. Almost as if they had sensed her presence looming closer and booted it towards their workplace. But with Nico there she didn't have much time to ponder the reasons her parents had to leave the house.

Nico gawked at the doorway, and leaned towards the darkened staircase before turning to the immediate left, finding a still warm kitchen. "Whoa… so this is what it's gonna be like when I'm an idol…" she whispered in awe. "Nice house."

Clearing her throat and watching Koji-san bow before departing, Maki shut the door and turned around, finding no Nico in sight. A bit of fear washed over her, and she hurried to the living room, stopping short of toppling her friend over. "Oh, um.. so-"

"Maki-chan why do you go to Otonokizaka again? This place is totally fit for an Ojou-sama!" Nico elbowed her in the ribs lightly, snickering while she did so. "You sure you don't want me to call you that?"

Baffled and blushing, Maki pulled away from Nico's presence, crossing her arms defensively. "I really wish you wouldn't…" she mumbled, hand reaching up to twirl at the ends of her hair. Nico threw her a peace sign and tumbled away, almost as if they were house hunting together.

_Wait what._

Maki slapped her cheeks and shook her head wildly, getting rid of all those… _weird_ thoughts as Nico's feet slid to a stop, just close enough to the source of Maki's frustration. Focusing on the task at hand, she hurried over to where Nico had stopped, her arms slack and head turned towards the corner of the room.

She glanced to the uncovered piano, still sparkling and nearly blinding thanks to the orange light coming from the glass doors. Nico stood tall, rigid. Her fingertips could feel the present tense state of Nico's body, and it made her uncomfortable. "Nico-chan…" she sighed, pressing a palm to her face. It was too silent for words.

Nico was quiet for a few moments longer, gazing to the floor with a pair of closed eyes, hands fumbling with the ends of her skirt. Then she looked up, a wide toothy grin sent her way; Maki would have thought it was endearing if not for the odd sensation of… guilt settling in her stomach.

"Nice, Maki-chan! I didn't know you had a pretty cool piano…!" Nico said, lurching forward with each syllable. The redhead almost rushed over to help her stand up straight. "Uh… then I guess we won't be needing to hang out after school. You do have your orchestra thing after all, so -"

Slapping both of her cheeks, Maki growled and stepped closer, angrily gazing into Nico's confused eyes. Nico's hands went up to grip her wrists, although it went slack to the point she was merely tugging on Maki's sleeves. "What," Maki seethed, voice reaching a hiss as she glared at Nico's stupid, ugly… and soft… face!

"I could ashk the shame thing," Nico muttered, barely able to contain her laughter even as Maki was giving her the death stare. "Why?"

"Why aren't you angry?!" Maki yelled, letting her hands lift before slamming down on Nico's face again, ignoring the loud yelp. "Why aren't you cursing me for wasting your time?! Why aren't… why aren't you... why are you _laughing_?"

Nico's face was mutated into one of glee as she let out a string of melodious laughter, her teeth sparkling and her cheeks red, even as Maki let go. Rubbing her face and wiping away oncoming tears, Nico chuckled, holding onto her stomach. "Maki-chan. Why are you so dumb?"

"Ueh?"

Nico patted the top of Maki's new piano and slid into the shiny bench easily, sighing as she smoothed out her skirt. Maki shortly joined her, but not before tossing her blazer - it was too hot in the room somehow. Touching a few of the finely tuned notes, Nico let out a sound of happiness. "This is pretty sweet, I'll tell you," she whistled, poking at the notes. Maki simply sat there, again, like a child learning her first notes. It was embarrassing.

Reaching up to poke her temple, Nico deadpanned and flicked her wrist, mimicking a gun recoil. "You can't take this to school and your orchestra… I don't think they make grand pianos in mobile form," she said with a smirk, lifting her own chin with her fingers like a detective. Maki flushed and looked away, glaring at the clock across the room. It was too hot.

"You really think I'm going to let you leave school that easily? Maki-chan you're too naive. Such a pure girl, it makes my heart ache!" Nico yelled, holding her hands to her heart. The redhead beside her cringed, and gripped her waist before pinching a small portion, but not enough to hurt her. Nico simply patted her head. "There, there. If you're gonna practice, let me hear it! You even promised!"

"Ugh," Maki rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. Maybe her words to Hanayo really were just a farce; she enjoyed being with Nico. Somehow, she brought light to her otherwise dreadful day. Maki just didn't know why.

No, that was wrong. Maki knew exactly why; admitting it was the hard part. This thought was made harder to process when Nico took her hand, a little more boldly than the morning. "Show me your room?" she asked, not bothering to wait for a reply before she bounded off the bench, Maki loudly protesting. Despite the rather plain look of her room, having Nico in there when it wasn't even clean was embarrassing - and Maki had to stop her. But the moment her door opened and Nico stepped in, she knew it was too late.

Lamely sighing, Maki approached from behind and awkwardly lifted her arm with a dull announcement. "This is my room," she said, averting her gaze to the corner of the room. Nico smiled and let out a breath of awe, walking towards her window.

"Cute," she commented, stopping to stare at the little orchestra trophy sitting on her desk, collecting dust among other things. Maki gulped down her nervousness and clenched her fists, especially when Nico sat on her bed, feeling at the sheets.

God, she hadn't even washed them yet.

Laying down on her back, Nico sighed and stretched her limbs. "Maaan, Maki-chan has the best bed ever! Way better than mine," she pouted, rolling to her stomach to glare at Maki mockingly. Before she could even think of a retort, Maki gaped when Nico snuggled into her blankets, the mess turning into a cocoon for the older girl. "So soft! And they smell just. Like. You."

Blushing, Maki had to force herself to sit on her desk chair, fanning herself. Why was it so hot?

She could barely manage Nico's form as she poked her head out of the tumble of blankets, hair sticking up and pigtails messily hanging on by a thread. "What are you doing?" Maki asked, palm covering half of her face; her blush was making her nose nearly combust in blood.

Nico simply smirked and reached a hand out to grab Maki's wrist, pulling her towards the bed until Maki was on her hands and knees, a few inches above her. "You need to relax, Maki-chan! Take a nap, stretch, get naked!"

_Get what. _

Pulling on her shoulders until she toppled over and was laying next to her, Nico wrapped her arms around Maki's waist and snuggled her face into her shoulder, humming. "You just have to relax, and then it'll come to you," she said, her breath fanning her earlobe. Maki swore it was going to join her nose in combusting.

"How do you know?" Maki asked in doubt, rarely finding that approach effective. Huffing, she turned her head towards the ceiling and laid on her back, ignoring how easily Nico followed her, a hand on her right shoulder while her head rested on her left. "Nothing I do is going to work."

Nico let in a sneaky glance at Maki's face, eyes sadly glimmering in her direction before it was replaced with mirth. "I know because I know, okay? Trust me."

Trust Nico.

Maki nodded and closed her eyes, already feeling something coming up in the back of her mind.

She had a crush on Nico. That was what she needed to just accept already.

_Romantic._

"Thanks."

* * *

Umi sighed as she tossed her bag aside in the safety of her room, ignoring how it slammed against the wall and spilled its contents on the plush rug. She'd clean up later.

Tugging off her ribbon, Umi buried her hands in her hair, pacing around the room. "Just when… just when it seems I've forgotten…" she muttered, toes hitting the corner of her coffee table. Amber eyes sadly raised to the corkboard across the room, the white lights too far from it to give light to what was once fun days as an idol; before it became work.

"Just when it seems I've forgotten about that day," Umi whispered, "And found someone else to… _cherish_. You…" She poked the face of a maid, sadly tracing it and letting her head sag. "You come into my life again without me even knowing it."

Umi sat on her couch, watching the clock tick and hearing the sound of her fridge going off again. Her small apartment was cozy, and warm. It was only the necessities; a place to sleep, a place to wash and a place to cook. Nothing more and nothing less. Most idols adored the graphic, highly buzzy places that were too complex to like.

Places like Akihabara. Umi made a face at the thought and messed with her hair, loudly groaning before falling to her knees, sniffing dramatically against the cushion. "Kotori…"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Umi quickly took it out, smiling as she read the name. "Ah, hello?" she asked, clearing her throat. Eli was her best friend; she could exterminate those bitter feelings, definitely.

"Hey Umi," Eli greeted. Umi smiled at the sound of her voice, and quickly laid on her back, watching the bits of ceiling grime that was collecting over the months. "I was wondering if you're busy at the moment?"

"Not at all. Is something wrong?" Umi asked, twirling a piece of her hair. She had seen someone do it - the girl with red hair - and now it had become a custom motion when she was in thought. Umi cursed the habit. She heard Eli sigh and sat up. "Eli?"

"It's… ah nothing, never mind," the blonde on the receiver laughed, making Umi's brows furrow. She let the silence go on for a few seconds, and hummed loudly in doubt, knowing Eli was listening. "Umi really. It's nothing serious."

Such a stubborn girl. Umi nodded and let out an accepting sound. "Very well. If you do want to talk about it, I'll be available anytime," she said, waiting for Eli to respond with a brief, 'yeah' before she hung up, staring at the face of her friend. Biting her lip, Umi glanced back up to the picture she hadn't taken down in months. Even a few seconds of speaking to Eli washed away the bitter feelings lingering from that day.

She moved on. Surely this was a good thing.

"Goodnight," Umi sighed, shutting everything off. Sleeping early was important.

* * *

Maki opened her eyes and found herself in an awkward situation. First, it was late; her room was clouded in darkness and she could see nothing. Second was her uniform sticking to her body. And third…

Well, Nico was cuddled up next to her and clearly in too deep a sleep she didn't notice the heat nor the sounds of Maki trying to escape her grip. Although it made her a little happy to see Nico in such a state, she wanted to bathe. And quickly.

"Nico-chan move," Maki hissed, prying the girl's hands off her waist. Nico huffed and rolled to her side, seemingly awake until her breathing evened out again. Maki sighed and ruffled her messy black hair, fingertips burning at the silky feeling. "I'll be back."

Upon opening her door, Maki blushed to find her mom standing outside of it, a smile on her face while she merrily leaned back on her heels. "Ah… Mama," Maki stuttered, "W-welcome back.."

Her mother winked. "I'm home." She tried to look over Maki's shoulder but it was blocked off by her daughter gently shutting the door behind her. "Aww, I wanted to get a good look at your friend. She's pretty small if I do say so myself."

"Mama…" Maki blushed, tightening her hands behind her back. She couldn't fight back or argue like she did with everyone else. Like Hanayo, her mother didn't deserve any sort of backlack. "Um.. I'm going to take a bath."

Giving Maki a weird look, her mother stared at her watch and blinked a few times. "Honey it's nearly two in the morning. Just take one when you wake up?"

Eyes bulging out of her sockets, Maki sputtered and turned on her heels, nearly shrieking when she saw the time on her mom's watch. Getting a small pat on her head, her mother laughed and strolled down the hallway towards the master bedroom. "Get some more sleep. I bet she's very lonely in there, Maki."

Ignoring the second wink sent her way, Maki turned around and walked back in, running a hand through her hair. Tugging off her uniform, Maki tossed the wrinkled mess aside and turned to her dresser, rummaging through it until she found something suitable for the hot room. She would have gone with just her underwear, but knowing Nico was there, she threw on a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt and was done. Dumping herself back on the bed, Maki tossed the covers over herself and Nico, ignoring how it completely smothered the other girl.

"Goodnight," she muttered, closing her eyes.

Nico's wide-eyed expression, coupled with her blush and trickling nose went unnoticed. "My god…" she whispered hotly, fanning herself.

00

Koji-san bowed to the couple walking out of the house with joy. "Ah, so you spent the night! Do you need anything at your home?" he asked to Nico, nodding his head.

Gripping Maki's hand, she shook her head. "Nah I'm good!" she answered, running towards the open car door again. Maki loudly screamed and had to balance herself as she was sucked into the vehicle again, whining about Nico's annoying habit.

Tipping his hat to Maki's surprised parents at the door, Koji-san closed the doors and was on his way, settling the two down with some music. Nico requested a pop station while Maki refused, the two settling into an argument instead of choosing something, so Koji-san pushed a button and sighed, hoping some kind of… general station would

"_And here we have kind of a classic for you commuters out there. Yazawa Tobio's _Dream_; it was also his final song before he passed. He was a wonderful musician, wasn't he?"_

"_Yes he was. He passed far too soon… please enjoy."_

Maki's eyes grew into dinner plates as a soft piano began to play, almost as if she were small again; standing next to her father, watching in awe as a man who looked too dishevelled to know anything about music simply played something that inspired Maki's dreams

She saw Nico lean forward into her bag, white fingertips pushing into her wrists as she covered her face. "Nico-chan…" she softly whispered anuished at the sight of her senior in such pain, "Is this…"

"Stop, don't say it," Nico said, pressing her knees together, as if she were trying to block herself from whatever . Maki as in awe, especially when Nico immediately threw herself into Maki's arms, muffling her light sobs within Maki's uniform, although it failed as the redhead was trying to pry her off, now knowing what was happening until she felt hot tears touching her skin, immobilizing her. Maki's hands brushed Nico's black hair, the pigtails shuddering as Nico tried to keep her voice from reaching Koji-san.

Maki gulped at the feeling of Nico in her arms, and shut her eyes, trying to ignore the soft piano floating around them. It was beautiful. And for something so amazing - so _powerful _\- to make Nico break down was almost unheard of. Nico was supposed to be hard like a rock; impenetrable, able to shoulder almost anything with a bright smile and her idol confidence.

But, she realized, Nico was just a teenage girl. Holding her tighter, Maki allowed her to cry, and immediately put the black window up, shielding Koji-san's wandering eyes from following them. She didn't want him to worry like he always did.

Nico sniffled on her neck, her racks of sobs gone in favor of small noises. Maki wanted to shake her off and tell her to use her handkerchief, but her arms told her to keep still; so she did.

"Come on, cry all you want now before it's too late," she awkwardly said, feeling Nico nod. It was the least she could do. Because she wanted to know everything now. No, she _needed_ to know everything about Nico.

Nico's small hands gripped her blazer, and before Maki knew it her lips were pressed against her cheek for a mere second, Nico pulling away to sit in her original spot. "Thank you," the older girl whispered as the song ended, fading out into nothing but silence. Maki blushed but nodded nonetheless, feeling her skin for the brief tingle left behind.

"Don't tell anyone," Nico snapped, reverting back to her normal self while pressing her hands into her puffy eyes. Maki wanted to laugh at the sight, as if Nico had been awake for three days straight, but then remembered this was a serious manner. Nico looked out the window before pouting in her direction, reaching out to lace their fingers together. "Ever."

"I promise."

"Keep it."

"I will."

* * *

_**A/N:**_

That last part was pretty hard to write, because.. well... sad Nico is bad Nico. And oooh side actions! What could be the cause of Eli's woes and Umi's heartbreak? Find out next time~!

The song Nico's dad played was Yiruma's "Dream". It's a very wonderful song I couldn't help it.

Again, sorry this took so long. I'm derping too much on tumblr I should stop. This story would have reached chapter 30 by now… but hey! Something to look forward to! x)


	21. Minami Kotori

I'm sorry I screw around on tumblr too much. e.e

"Konetsu you made us on FF wait this long for… this?"

This was short because I got really stuck on what to do (the main reason this took two months to complete) and so I decided to cut it into a pretty decent-sized chapter, and post it so I can move on. There's a pretty major "arc" I wanna go into regarding Maki's orchestra, as well as Nico's idol progression and this is preventing me from getting there.

EDIT: Oops! I labelled this as chapter 22 _and_ 21... this is what I get for writing so late at night. Sorry guys!

_**Disclaimer: IDNOLL**_

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do: **_

_**Chapter Twenty: Minami Kotori**_

* * *

It was in the past; that was what she said. Or thought. Something she could look back on, smile at fondly and shove aside along with all the dusty photo albums. Like she had planned, and had been doing a pretty good job of keeping tabs on.

But then she saw_ her_ \- standing like a wet puppy within the sewing club room, staring at her like a million needles had pierced her body. And all the shoved aside memories, all the images that had engraved into her mind came flooding right back.

Minami Kotori hated it. She despised the lost and frightened look of her old friend; the way the girl had stuttered and looked bewildered at the sight of Kotori.

And she hated that she had caused it all.

"Hey, cheer up!" Kotori's overly excited friend said, patting her on the shoulder and slapping her out of her reverie. Of all people, the only ones who knew of Kotori's past regarding Sonoda Umi were her mother, and her dear friend Kousaka Honoka. Friends since childhood, Honoka knew everything about Kotori, and vice versa. They were best friends. "You two just need to talk it out! It'll be fine!"

Sighing, Kotori shut her notebook, the jumbled words and sloppy sentences a mess as the morning drag was still with her. Looking up at her cheery friend, all the grey-haired girl could offer was a weak smile.

"I'm okay," she responded half-heartedly. Kotori shook her head at the frown appearing on Honoka's face, trying to avoid the topic as much as possible.

"Hey ladies," one boy said, hopping onto his desk to try and slide over it. He fell face first into Honoka's bag, effectively hurting his nose on her keychain. Saito whined loudly and leaned back in pain, but stood and patted Honoka's shoulder, not knowing if he had hurt her until she patted him on the head. "You see her yet?"

Kotori blinked; it was obvious who he was talking about - Saito was probably the biggest fan of Sonoda Umi in the school. But knowing the gleam in his eyes, she decided to humor him. "I'm not sure, who?" she asked kindly, smiling up at the bright boy's face. Saito, with a bright red nose and an equally red face, coughed into his fist and dusted off his uniform before giving them a confident smirk.

"Sonoda Umi-chan, of course!"

At that, Kotori tried to ignore the little sting in her chest and smiled again, clutching her pencil a little tighter. The most she could do was stuff the dread away, and hope for the best. "Ah, no I haven't… I do know a lot of people were chasing after her."

"Look, c'mon I'll show you where her classroom is!"

Honoka gave her an odd little grin, allowing the taller boy to gently pull Kotori to her feet. At the feeling, Kotori smiled; he had a soft touch - as if touching another girl would break her to pieces. Saito rubbed his nose again and sighed before stopping, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to just grab you like that," he apologized. Kotori merely pushed him forward, the small smile on her face reaching her eyes for the first time that day. He was almost as sweet as Umi - caring, gentle and pretty protective of others.

She wasn't sure his intention when Saito suddenly went downstairs instead of up - and then took a sharp left, where they stopped upon nearly colliding into a familiar face. "Ah, sorry!" Saito yelled, bowing deeply before pressing himself into the wall, tugging on Kotori's sleeve and moving her out of the way as well.

"Morning, Nico-chan," Kotori smiled from behind his shoulder, seeing the rigid form of the small girl hiding behind her bag. Nico didn't show her face, aside from leery red eyes poking out to glare at Saito. When her eyes met Kotori's, she nearly lost her composure, her bag slipping from her grip. Kotori wanted to laugh; Nico hadn't ever really seen her at school, so it had to be a huge surprise seeing her. Nico began to shuffle away, trying her best to keep her face from showing no matter the cost. Her tiny feet made loud stomps, and even minutes after disappearing they could still hear them.

Saito sighed, "I thought she was gonna give me another heart attack!" He pushed a fist into his chest and coughed. "That's the last time I mess with that senpai."

Kotori, strangely curious, tilted her head. "You've talked to her before?" While she knew Nico was rather… odd - and a little on the anti-social side based on her past visits into her cafe, she never took her for the kind to speak to her underclassman. Much less _Saito_.

"Oh yeah, but she was a little irritated about it… and I was just asking for directions to Umi-chan's class too…" he pouted, but snapped up immediately with a smile, winking towards Kotori. Suddenly he slapped his cheeks and pumped up a fist. "In any case! Gotta get Panayo-chan first!"

_Panayo…?_ Kotori repeated, the odd name not ringing in her head at all. Saito waved at her as he ran down the hall of the first year's floor, skidding to a stop just before the wall hit him. Kotori sighed, although she smiled at his antics. Saito was a funny boy.

After a few minutes and a rough yell, Saito emerged from the classroom carrying a flailing girl with green hair, glasses toppling all over her face and a blush spreading across her nose.

"Saito-kun! P-put me…. down..!" she yelled, her frail voice touching Kotori's ears like soothing bells. The kind of voice a mother puts her child asleep to. But as they got closer to her, Kotori spotted the girl going still, and Saito running out of breath, stopping short of the stairs touching his feet.

Kotori giggled and felt her heart soar at the little blush appearing on the couple's faces, Saito gently putting the girl to her feet. "Okay! Hanayo-chan, this is Minami Kotori - Kotori-chan, this is Koizumi Hanayo!"

"Nice to meet you…" Hanayo nervously said, twisting her hips and avoiding eye contact. Kotori repeated the statement and watched Saito point to the stairs, Hanayo smiling from ear to ear before following him. Kotori watched them easily gravitate towards each other, and followed along, the strange pounding in her chest deciding to stay with each step they took.

At the top of the stairs where the third year classrooms sat, a chilly air blew around Kotori, and she felt her blood turn to ice and her bones turn to stone. The mere thought of seeing Umi's face - after that kind of reunion - made an uncomfortable aura settle within the pits of her belly.

"Hey," Saito said, stopping when he noticed Kotori paused in the middle of the hallway, just a few doors away from Umi's designated class. A few students flocked to the door, but disappeared soon after, and it wasn't hard to guess why. Kotori merely watched Saito as he watched her, and Hanayo nervously fidgeted in place, as if representing the feelings bottled within her.

"Um… go ahead without me," Kotori said suddenly, eyes going wide once the door slid open, the eyes of Sonoda Umi meeting hers before she turned and hurried away from the stairs. She clearly heard Saito's loud gasp followed by Umi's curious voice, but ignored the words.

Honoka caught her at the final step, pulling her to a stop. "Honoka-chan…?" Kotori blurted, huffing and feeling like she was going to tear up any second. Her childhood friend patted her head and took her hand, tugging her over to their classroom door.

"Hono-"

Her upcoming sentence was cut off when her face was buried within Honoka's shoulder, cutting off any and all thoughts running through her head. Kotori had nothing to say at the display of affection; Honoka wasn't one to hide love for her friends, but the way her hands slightly trembled, and the way she was beginning to cut off Kotori's airways was slightly worrying. Kotori could only nervously smile and return the hug, making Honoka chuckle when her fingers brushed her ticklish sides.

"Come on, I'll give you some bread Yukiho baked last night!" Honoka suddenly exclaimed, ignoring the upcoming teacher who simply shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, praying to himself that the next fifty minutes wouldn't be too stressful.

It was a few minutes into the lecture when Saito was booted inside the classroom, a hallway monitor angrily staring at his fallen form. "Hey!" he called at the door as she left, waving his arm around. "Don't make Hanayo-chan cry or you'll pay, for real!"

Kotori sighed, staring at her notebook and trying to ignore the bustling classmates around her. The little bag of manjuu sat in the corner of her desk, tempting her to bite into them, but at the same time her feet wanted to go back upstairs where Umi was probably endlessly stressed out.

Closing her eyes, she scribbled out the small hiragana in the corner of her notebook and shook her head, erasing all the thoughts within her.

It was over. Her time with Sonoda Umi had since been up, and of her own volition. Kotori had no right to whine about it now. She had been doing fine so far, and the only thing she could do was forget about it.

* * *

Maki had tapped her pencil against Hanayo's nose during their break, shocking the other student out of her daze. Blushing, Hanayo fearfully looked up at Maki's thoughtful expression, fingertips digging into her knees. "U-Um…"

"Don't worry," Maki sighed, plopping into the seat next to Hanayo's. "I'm not gonna scold you. Frankly I don't care; I just wanted to ask if you were okay."

"Doesn't that mean you _do_ care, nya?" Rin asked, crossing her arms and resting them on top of Maki's head; Maki did nothing to stop her, but the slight twitch of her eyelid wasn't ignored. "Anyway, Kayochin, you need to be more careful!"

Hanayo nodded, and looked at her desk in shame. "I know, I…."

Maki held out her hand. "Let me stop you there. All you need to do is refuse when he tries to force you somewhere. I'm sure he'll understand. You're strong enough to do that, aren't you?"

Gulping, Hanayo nervously looked at Rin, who tilted her head and smiled with a nod. "I… guess…?"

"No guessing, you have to know. If you don't want to be dragged around your whole school life until he graduates, then you're gonna have to put your foot down sometime," Maki advised, twirling a lock of hair. She turned her gaze to the clock and sighed. "Anyway, don't start skipping class as a habit."

"Aww, Maki-chan, so caring! But…." Rin pulled at her cheeks, and the rest of the class looked in awe at Rin's roughhousing with her. "You should follow your own advice, nya!" She giggled and jumped off her back when Maki went to strike her chin, hopping back to her seat.

Seething and blushing, Maki tried her best to hold back a questioning shout and simply stomped back to her seat, but not before giving the curious onlookers harsh glare. They collectively leaned away and gulped, wondering when the red aura around her had appeared.

_Follow my own advice? How dumb._ Maki thought, roughly sketching in spilled ramen to get back at the orange-haired girl.

When the lunch bell rang, and everyone slowly dispersed into their little groups, Maki was left blinking at her notebook, wondering why she was expecting Nico to show up at all. And why she was getting annoyed at the thought.

"Stupid," she sighed, looking around in her bag for extra change; she had gotten into the habit of being with Nico - she forgot to bring a lunch. And what greeted her was a nice rumbling of her stomach, making her feel worse at being such a fool. Maki rested her head on her bag, and only looked up when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Come on, do I always have to get you like a kid?" Nico had asked, keeping her gaze at the window across the classroom. It was pretty empty for once, save a few silent ones, and Maki couldn't find words to say until Nico pulled her up with strength she didn't know her to have. Well, maybe she did already know, based on those loud knocks on her door. But either way, Nico had already began to pull her out of her classroom without another word.

"Oh, good afternoon," Sonoda Umi greeted her at the doorway, Nico sidestepping around her. Maki's throat went even drier at the sight. How Nico managed to drag Umi out of the classroom was beyond her. Umi simply covered her smile with her hand, and allowed Nico to guide them to their lunch spot.

Maki couldn't keep her mind on Umi for too long, however, because of the sudden tight grip Nico had on her wrist. It didn't hurt, but it was a little worrying, especially with how things had gone that morning - Nico was acting like it hadn't happened.

But she was nobody to go around spreading the story.

Nico loudly sighed when she hit the bench, leaning back and giving Maki a rather tired stare. "Something bite you on your way over here?" she asked, tossing her a bento. Maki gladly took it, ignoring Umi's stare of surprise. "You look like a dog chewed on your shoes. Quit being so pouty already."

The onslaught of comments should have made Maki mad, furious even, but in the presence of Umi and the morning's mishap, Maki couldn't blame Nico for being a little off. However, she didn't really appreciate the sudden intrusion on what should have been a time for the two of them.

So, clearing her throat, Maki motioned her head in Umi's direction. "Uh, hey, Sonoda… san…"

"Calling me Umi is fine, thank you," Umi smiled, her idol mask slapped on very tight. Maki nervously let out a sound from her throat and nodded.

"Umi. What brings you here? You haven't left that class of yours for any reason. So why now?" Maki winced at how defensive she sounded - like Nico was her possession, and anyone else eating with her was a crime. Biting her tongue, she wished she was back in her own class and getting teased by Rin.

At first Umi simply brushed her hair to the side and clicked her heels together, a small frown on her face. Then she smiled and was about to answer when Nico kicked her ankle. "Ah!" she yelped, elegantly peeling away from Nico's stare. "What was that?"

"For acting so prissy. Just say what you wanna say," Nico sighed. Maki wanted to reprimand her on how idols acted, but stuffed the words away. Nothing good would come out of arguing with her.

"Well… if that's what I should do, then…" Umi sighed, closing up the food she hadn't even touched. "I'm actually trying to… break my shell." She let out another small puff of breath and shook her head, while Maki tried to make sense of what was just said.

Nico reached out to poke her cheek, resulting in Maki swiftly turning her gaze onto the older girl. "She wants to be more social, isn't that fine? Jeez Maki, maybe you should take her advice."

_Why is everyone telling me that?_ Maki bit her lip and held her tongue, reeling back to confide in the cute lunch prepared by Nico. Her name, in Roman letters, was splayed out over the rice in cute chopped tomato slices, with a tiny heart peppering the "i". Maki gulped down her nervousness and dug in, hoping to keep herself occupied.

Maybe being around Umi wasn't a bad thing - she was, after all, an idol. She took a quick peek at her, conversing with Nico like a regular high school girl, with an occasional awkward laugh as Nico made some snide comment to something she said. Maki wondered why Umi was so reserved; had mannerisms been drilled into her through the idol industry or did she grow up with it?

Now she knew why people were so caught up in following her around. Sonoda Umi was mysterious; Maki wanted to, like Nico, know more.

_This could…_ Maki thought, setting down the box to look in Nico's direction, watching as Nico sighed and sloppily wiped her mouth with her pink sleeve. Ignoring her grimace, she held a hand to her chest, just above her blue ribbon, and smiled.

_This could lead me to getting to know _her_ more, too…_

"Kotori-chan? Are you coming with us?" Honoka called at the end of the hall, waving at the girl whose fist was pressed against a window. Down below, hidden between a few bushes but still undeniably her, Umi was chatting with a few other girls, looking much more confident in how she held herself.

Biting down her jealousy, Kotori turned to her friend, trying hard to keep her shallow breaths from reaching Honoka's ears. "Oh, yeah! Sorry!" she shouted back, hurrying over to Honoka's side. Kotori took another small glance to the place Umi was, and tried to tape the box containing her past feelings, knowing it was going to burst any second.

_Umi-chan… I'm-_

"You made it!" Honoka cried, the two of them naturally high-fiving each other. Kotori gave her best smile and hoped Honoka didn't notice.

_Sorry. _

* * *

_**A/N: **_

Not very great, right? I mean we got some development - and Nico is now forever in sourpuss mode. Maki is curious and Umi is daring (bab- *shot*)

Okay okay, now that I got this out of the way, it should be easier to get the rest written. For now enjoy and I'll see you guys soon!


	22. Locked-Away Door

Yay, an update! Would've been posted earlier but I didn't want it to be so short.

_**Disclaimer: IDNOLL**_

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Twenty-One: Locked-Away Door**_

* * *

Maki didn't know what to say when Nico suddenly placed food in Umi's line of sight. The idol blinked, while Nico kept a stern frown on her face until Umi hesitantly opened her mouth, accepting the food.

"Very good," Umi's muffled voice let out, her fingers placed over her mouth to hide her chewing. Nico wiped her hands on her handkerchief, acting like nothing had just happened. Maki kept a tight grip on her chopsticks, not knowing why her eyebrows suddenly rose on the surface of her forehead. Maybe because Umi leaned forward to pick out another piece of food from within Nico's lap.

Sighing, Maki averted her gaze to the wall of the school, now trying to ignore the two girls sitting beside her. Yet she couldn't help listening.

"So Umi," Maki almost cringed at the way Nico referred to her. "There's something I have to ask." Nico frowned again, crossing her arms. Umi made a noise of curiousness. "How easy is it to become an idol?"

"How…. easy?" Umi asked, looking up in thought. She stared at the leaves of the tree with a wistful expression on her face, lips thinning out into a small smile. Whatever she was reminiscing about, it left her silent for a few seconds, but eventually she came up with an answer.

"It's not easy at all," she said. Nico sighed. "But then again, keeping up with the job is probably the most difficult part… I suppose it's easy if you know people in the industry to support you…" Umi continued, tapping her chin.

Nico set her food aside, completely forgotten at this point, and Maki held her chopsticks in her mouth, feeling _less_ than invisible. If she had just up and left, she doubted Nico or Umi would notice - the two seemed the oblivious type; unaware to things around them when they weren't focused.

"So, knowing someone like you?" Nico asked, leaning closer to Umi with a small gleam in her eyes, pretty much slapping the idol in the face with her hint. Umi chuckled, politely setting her own lunch aside.

"Sure," she smiled. "I assume you're asking because you want to be an idol?" Umi held up a finger to stop Nico's next comment, looking entirely serious; a stark contrast to the smiling person she had just been.

Umi sighed, twiddling her thumbs while tapping the heels of her school shoes on the bench, probably wondering how to phrase… whatever it was she needed to say. Maki would have been lying if she said there was no sign of nervousness in the pit of her belly - light, but still there.

Finally, Umi fought her hesitation, hurriedly turning to Nico before the latter could say another word and ultimately ruin the build up. "I'm not telling you this to scare you, but I will say this: a life of an idol is hard. We pour and sacrifice a lot to do what we do - probably _too much_."

Holding up an index finger, Umi got real close to Nico's face, to the point their noses were touching. The red hair on Maki's head suddenly went rigid, and her ears heard nothing coming from Umi's mouth; only the internal, rampant questions running through her head.

"Think of it as playing an instrument - " At that, Maki stopped her ranting to listen for a few seconds, " - Without dedication and proper commitment, you will ultimately _fail_."

Nico was blushing at their closeness, staring straight into Umi's eyes to avoid anything more awkward from happening, and it seemed she wasn't listening (Maki was ready to chop the back of her head). However, it was clear what Nico was going to respond with; Maki could probably mimic her exact words.

Sighing, Nico lightly leaned back, bumping shoulders with Maki and huffing, not even acknowledging the small grumble coming from the redhead. "If there's a chance that I can be an idol, I'll do _anything_." That sentence alone was enough for Maki to remember the little begging Nico did on the side (well not _begging_, but that was how she saw it). So Maki knew Nico was willing to do a lot for the career.

The biggest was _why_. What was she trying so hard for? It was the biggest mystery Maki wanted to know - but with Nico's breakdown from listening to a song that very morning, Maki didn't want to push it.

Umi hummed as she too leaned back, nodding her head. "You sound confident. But don't think walking into the office will grant you the -"

"Nico Nico Nii!"

Umi jumped back in shock, wondering why her heart was beating so fast and her breathing was short. More importantly, why Nico was suddenly screaming at her. "What the…"

Nico sat in place with a huge grin on her face, hand symbols pressing into her temples. "I'll send a Nico Nico Nii straight into your heart!" she said with a pouty tone, pointing directly at Umi's chest. Maki wanted to laugh, but held her tongue and turned away to avoid getting yelled at. Umi looked _totally _lost.

Then, Nico dropped her arms, wearing a satisfied expression. "How's that for preparations, hm?" she asked rather happily. Umi cleared her throat and sat back up, still flustered from the scare.

"Well, it's no _Love Arrow Shoot_, but that's not bad," she giggled, pointing her index finger at Nico with a wink. Nico shuddered and Maki could see the tips of the girl's ear go red, making her frown even further if it was at all possible. Of course. Maki wanted to slam her palm into her face and just sigh, but kept her cool. Lunch was almost over - just a little bit more to endure.

Once it did ring, Maki was faster at gathering her things and heading through the door, not bothering to wait up for the other two. However she heard a slight squeak - was it the door? She couldn't tell - the further it opened up to the main hallway.

"Um," Maki blurted, looking ahead for said person she had apparently hit with the door. The mystery person emerged slowly from behind it, bright amber eyes shaking in fear as she gazed at Maki. The red ribbon on her chest meant she was a second year - so her upperclassman.

Kotori jumped as Maki silently scrutinized her hunched form, a puzzled look on her face. "Uwah! Um… um, uh…"

As soon as Umi reached the door, her flustered state suddenly disappeared, replaced with a dreamy, almost uncomfortable one - like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the motivation. Nico tried overlooking the frozen Umi's shoulder, but found herself struggling. The two facing each other were completely silent. Another ten seconds passed before Umi clicked her tongue and looked away in scorn, a hurt twitch on her face.

"The idol career also comes with lots of painful things, too…" she said quietly. Almost too quietly, like it was meant for her ears only. Umi bowed to Maki and Nico before hurrying to the staircase, easily passing through a couple of students.

"Wait…!" Kotori called quietly, sparing the other girls a small glance before she too was running off. Right as Umi turned to rush up any further, Kotori reached out to grab a hold of Umi's sleeve, stopping her entirely.

"Please… please wait!" she cried, her fingertips whitening; a sign that Umi was trying to resist. "Umi-chan!"

Gasping, Umi tried even harder to pull away. "Please do not call me that… and let go, Kotori!"

Kotori, despite being the weaker of the two, grit her teeth and stayed in place, looking angrier than she had ever been, tears springing to her eyes. Umi's eyes widened at the sight. "Why do you have to do this? Why… why can't you just-"

"Ah, what's going on here?" one Tojo Nozomi asked suddenly, easily pulling Kotori's fingers from Umi's numbing elbow, spreading the two apart. The idol took another step on the staircase, hoping to get away from the situation. Her breathing was ragged, and her skin had paled considerably; she looked like someone who had just seen a ghost.

And that didn't fare well with Nozomi, considering Eli thought of her as a really close friend. Probably closest. While it wasn't the word Nozomi particularly liked, that was reality, and Nozomi would rather die before she hurt Eli in any way. "Elicchi, looks like we got a serious case on our hands, huh?"

Nico cringed at the drama unfolding, and tried to hide by stepping back herself, but she found herself wrapped in Eli's arms, the blonde girl grinning down at her captive like a happy fox. "You aren't going anywhere," she winked.

"Ngh.. you…!" Nico struggled, although Eli's strength was clearly superior; she couldn't even pull out one of her arms from Eli's grasp. "C'mon, Eli!"

The Student Council President gave the slack Umi a sympathetic look, ignoring Nico's fidgeting. "For now, and before you start making a bigger scene in the hallway, go to your classrooms. Umi, why don't you stay behind for a moment?" Eli proposed, watching Kotori's hand fall back to her side. The second year took a long, deep breath, before bowing and finally escorting herself up the stairs, accidentally brushing Umi's hand in the process. The two jumped and lowered their heads to avoid eye contact, and eventually Kotori was out of sight.

Maki, eyes flickering to all of her upperclassmen and feeling too overwhelmed, fled in the direction of her classroom. Nico watched her retreating with a lopsided frown, furrowing her eyebrows at the lack of a proper parting. She waited for a little longer, and finally cleared her throat when Eli still failed to let go. "Let's go already, it wasn't _that_ bad," she scoffed in Nozomi's direction, who stood there until Nico pulled her away.

"Wow, Nicocchi, already wanting to hold hands…" Nozomi teased, leaning closer to the shorter girl. "You know, going this fast is usually a sign of true love~"

"Shut up…!" Nico yelled with a dust of red on her face, shoving the other girl up the stairs. Nozomi sent Eli a wink, and the blonde smiled in return, thankful for the quick clean up of whatever mess Umi and Kotori would have spilled.

Eli sighed and patted Umi on the shoulder, the idol looking up in sorrow. "Walk and talk?"

"That would be for the best…"

They slowly began to ascend the stairs, while Nico and Nozomi tried to beat the clock, their footsteps loud and clear above them. "What's on your mind?" Eli asked, poking Umi's cheek, Umi shrinking back with a small flush of her cheeks.

"Too much, I suppose," Umi laughed, although it was more pitiful than that of joy. Eli sighed when Umi began twirling a lock of hair - she too noticed it was becoming a habit of hers. "This was not one of my better decisions."

"Coming to Otonokizaka?" Eli asked in shock, stopping. Umi had always been home schooled - and her first days at a real high school probably weren't the best in helping her adjust to her environment. "Well,_ I'd _rather have you here than somewhere else… don't forget that."

Umi's face wasn't within Eli's line of sight, and she hoped Eli couldn't see any of it. The blush was too embarrassing to expose.

"I… thank you…"

The blonde student let out a breath of happiness, and hurriedly wrapped her arms around Umi before stepping away, tilting her head. "Remember you've got me and Nozomi, and Nico too I guess… you can trust us with anything."

Eli hopped over one step to take her hand, and her smile broadened when she felt Umi's grip tighten, the idol shyly bowing her head to hide her smile. They walked up in a content silence, the taps of their footsteps the only other companion on their trek. "Anything else?" She glanced at the other girl, hoping she'd get something out of her.

"You want to… know about her, don't you?"

"You know me well."

Umi sighed, "Well I haven't known you for _that_ long… anyway..." She took that same lock of hair and pulled it around her finger again. Her expression lowered again, and she stared at her feet the moment they got to the second year floor, the words she was going to say dissolving on her tongue.

Eli didn't miss the fact Umi's eyes stayed trained on a single door. There was a huge mist of mystery and secrets surrounding Umi that had always been there since Eli met her. It was a locked door she kept within herself that screamed for attention, but for some reason Umi avoided it as much as she could. And being a trained idol, it was hard for Eli to decipher when Umi was trying to cover her tracks.

"She is… I was - " Umi groaned, digging her fingertips into her scalp, a look of horror spreading on her face. "_Stupid_… I, was stupid…"

The blonde watched Umi struggle with her words, and she bit her lip when Umi stayed silent, not bothering to even spare Eli a glance. "It was the best, and worst year of my life so far - and I couldn't even…" The tears came, pooling at the edge of her eyes, before a harsh hiccup made Umi stop to cover her face, stuffing her sobs within her skin.

Eli worriedly approached her, softly taking her hands to stare down at the pained and tear-stained face. "There's nobody in the hall now, you're okay," she said, closing her eyes when Umi sniffled, letting her emotions free for the first time.

Eventually, Umi was face-first in Eli's shoulder, both arms around the blonde's waist while Eli ran a hand through her hair, trying hard to muffle her sobs.

"Oh, Umi…"

Burying herself further in Eli's clothes, and not caring much if she was staining the fabric, Umi took in sharp breaths, the pain surrounding her heart getting released with each tear she shed. And Eli didn't drill her with questions; she said nothing, allowing Umi to get all she needed out of her chest.

"_Umi-chan, look! She's the one who made your pretty dress!" her short manager excitedly pointed out, placing her hands on Umi's shoulders tightly. At the door to her studio bedroom, stood a fidgety girl with her hair shaped like a bird. Umi couldn't get a good look at her face since it was covered, but knew she had to be cute. Only cute girls could make such cute clothes after all. Umi wasn't very cute._

"_Do you want to introduce yourself?" A woman behind the door said, ushering in the other small girl inside the room. After a brief silence, the two girls looked up. Amber met brown. And that was all they could do; wide-eyed stares, occasional blinking… pure wonder._

_Her name was -_

"Minami… Kotori…"

Umi blinked, wondering why she was staring at a blank notebook all of a sudden, a neat organization of pens and other utensils to her right. And why there was a slightly confused teacher hovering over her desk, a book held close to his chest.

"So-Sonoda-san…?" he began, clearing his throat. "Are you alright? You've been silent for quite some time…"

Ignoring the other stares, and only looking in Eli's direction for moral support, Umi took in a shuddery breath. "It… is nothing. Please don't worry, sir. I apologize for disrupting the classroom."

He took the slightly (or very) unconvincing statement to heart, slowly backing from her seat. The other students sighed and turned back to the board, disappointed their huge idol had nothing special to say or do for them. Umi had learned to expect that, and how to brush it aside.

Eli took a good chunk of time looking at Umi during class before taking in a deep breath. She could see Nico's stare of suspicion clearly, but she chose to ignore it after Nozomi tossed a wad of paper at Nico's head, stealing the girl's attention. For that, Eli was grateful (another thing to add to the list), but her focus was mainly on Umi. And the second year - Minami Kotori; the two seemed to have a rough past, but Eli was only an outsider, and meddling in wasn't something she was comfortable doing.

_What should I do…? _she asked herself, tapping her pencil against her book in thought.

* * *

"C'mon, what's got you do down, Maki-san?" an annoyingly persistent male asked, probably for the fifth time since break started. The first years in this particular class were especially obnoxious, she noted. However, Maki barely cared to look him in the eye, instead fixated on her phone. On the screen was an advertisement, the same one she had seen on the street with Umi on it. After witnessing…. the rather close scene between Umi and Nico, she had no idea why Umi's presence - physical or not - bothered her so much.

_It's _not_ because of Nico that's for sure…._

She sighed and locked her phone, ignoring how Hanayo and Rin nervously looked at her while the guy was still at her desk. Maki learned that ignoring annoying things eventually got rid of them, but this particular incident went sour when she suddenly felt his clammy, disgusting fingers touch her cheek. Maki immediately bristled.

"I don't remember you being so cold, Maki-"

A harsh slap got the grimy hand away from Maki's skin, the redhead nearly cross eyed as she stared at the slightly tall form of Hanayo's odd friend.

Saito frowned at the other boy who was busy blowing on his pounding skin. "When a girl ignores you the first time, leave her _alone_," he said sharply. The other student clicked his tongue and went back to his seat in defeat, Maki sighing in relief.

"Th-thanks…!" Hanayo cried softly while Saito placed his hands on his hips in triumph. Maki still sat in slight shock while the others talked, eyes shakily staring at the next class' textbook. She didn't know what was worse: getting saved by _Saito_, or thinking, just for a second, that Nico had been the one to intercept the boy's touch. Or maybe, she wished Nico had been there.

Maki sighed and ruffled her hair to cover her face, gulping down the ball in her throat. "Th.. thanks," she managed, turning her phone back on immediately. There was a new text notification, and Maki couldn't help hurriedly tapping at her screen to see what it was, or who it was from.

_Hey Maki-chan, just a reminder you have the orchestral practice tomorrow at nine instead of twelve! Yuji-san is to make an announcement then! :) Love you. Mom. _

It was from her mother. Maki wanted to hiss at the reminder - she still had yet to come up with her own song. Her mind drifted to Nico, and the song (if they could call it that) they had randomly played came to her ears, but she shook it off, lightly tapping her temple at the thought. Now was not the time to be thinking about Nico.

Because today was that big test she hadn't studied for. And if Nico was on her mind, she was afraid she'd develop a bad grade streak.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Okay, that's a pretty average-sized chapter. A lot of Umi-centric stuff, because she's gonna be Nico's go-to partner for a while, while Maki… well, you'll see. I'm super excited for the next chapter, it's finally here! I'll probably start updating much faster now that I'm where I've wanted to be. ^^


	23. Coach Sonoda

_**A/N:**_ I've been blessed with inspiration!

Disclaimer: IDNOLL

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: Coach Sonoda**_

* * *

The week had been too long, too weird, and overall too annoying for Maki to be walking up to her orchestra room at eight in the morning. Granted, she got to skip school for a day, but anything was better than looking at Yuji's face and hearing his strict voice for six hours.

As she slugged over to her piano, Maki could have sworn he was giving her a cryptic, cocky look from the corner of the room. She rolled her eyes and slammed her binder down onto the spot next to her, the ugly, scribbled and very unreadable mess of notes and "music" slipping out from within. Maki had spent a good amount of time slaving away on her new piano at home, trying to get some progress done.

But it went to waste, as Maki ended up trying to explain to Nico why she had disappeared on her for the day. Even Koji-san was surprised to see Maki standing alone when he picked her up.

And she didn't have the guts to explain the reason, so Maki opted to brush it aside. Until, of course, Nico came right around and began her interrogations.

Glancing over the students that had showed up, Maki noticed the girl who played the cello, Kousaka, nervously looking down at her note sheet whilst tapping her shoe against the back leg of the seat in front of her. Maki never really approached her after both Yuji and Kujo had tag-teamed against her - it wasn't really Maki's business, or her problem.

Yet she found herself skidding to a stop mere feet away, her fingers twitching against the hem of her coat, mentally screaming at herself to go back. Retreat into her bubble she so wished to stay in before coming to Tokyo.

"Hi," she said weakly, getting the girl's attention. Her brown hair was styled oddly, and she looked younger than even Maki - which made her a little more relatable. "How's your practice going?"

Kousaka looked up with a sigh, a bitter smile on her face. "It would go along better if I didn't have a useless older sister, that's for sure," she said, tapping the packet of score sheets against her knee. Maki winced at the pitiful tone in her voice, but overcame her shock to sigh.

"But are you at least getting better?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. Maki didn't like people who bathed in self-pity; they either got over their whining and got better, or sank in the pitfalls they created.

Kousaka nodded, even if just a little, confidence spreading on her face. "I'm definitely getting the hang of it. We've got a little over three months, so I should be okay if I practice everyday, you know? Fight-oh!" She gave a bright grin, and Maki couldn't help finding her smile contagious, letting out a small chuckle.

"Good for you."

"Kousaka Yukiho, by the way," she said as Maki walked off to her spot. "Good luck with your solo, Nishikino-san!"

Maki bit the inside of her cheek. Luck was the last thing she needed.

She needed skill.

Yuji stepped in not too long before their class would begin, a dark tan suit on his form. The students who did show up looked in slight annoyance, most of them wearing sleepy expressions. Maki fought the urge to yawn, but even she wanted to sink back into bed and sleep off the stress hanging over her head.

"You're all probably wondering why I made class so early today," Yuji began, not bothering with saying hello. The students stayed silent, and he clapped his large hands together. "Well, mostly, it's to prepare you for a sort of… performance, in about two weeks."

"A what?" Maki blurted, sounding the least enthusiastic about this news. She gaped at the older man, who sent her a look of scorn before turning to his more favorable students.

"You heard me. A performance of sorts. I've set up a camp - rather, I rented out a band camp to get you students acquainted with each other, give you each private lessons, as well as give you lots of time to practice."

Yuji sounded too happy for the announcement; he was probably the _only one_ excited for it. "And we begin on Monday. I've already informed all of your parents and even schools; so there is no reason for anyone to be missing."

Yukiho raised a hand from her spot in the back, and Yuji sighed before pointing to her. "So we're going to be away for two weeks? At this camp thing?" she asked, making him nod.

"Right. You'll be allowed cell phones, and of course the food will be provided. But rest assured this isn't a vacation camp, so there won't be much time for you to goof around. Am I correct, Nishikino-san?"

He looked at her like Maki was his problem student - and, at the very least, she kind of was. But who was he to pinpoint her as the type to goof around?

_If Nico was with me, maybe. But she won't be going._

At that thought, Maki ignored everything Yuji was saying, mind drifting off to the older girl. If she was leaving on Monday, that would mean Maki had only tomorrow to see and explain the situation to Nico; or suffer with a million texts per day questioning her whereabouts. Maki wanted to sigh at the thought.

"... Then Nishikino-san will join in, but well, that was changed when she decided to opt for a solo," Yuji said, gesturing to the daydreaming Maki. The redhead puffed her cheek and looked away with a defensive cross of her arms, not wanting to look at him any longer. The odd, curious and scrutinous gazes of her bandmates didn't help much. So Maki looked down at her fingers.

With another loud clap, Yuji let out a breath. "Well, looks like we've gone over majority of the rules and schedules for the camp - I'll have Yazawa-san give you fliers after the end of this session. Which, by the way, still ends at six tonight." He ignored the loud groan of his students, and turned to Maki. "You progress on what you have - I will come by if you need help."

_He seems happy now. This must have been something he planned for a while..._

Maki rolled up her sleeves and took out a fresh score sheet out from her binder, ready to get to work. She heard the screeching noises coming from chairs being dragged here and there, and Yukiho had begun tuning her instrument with the help of another girl, the sound blocked out by the tweets of flutes and the deep hums of trumpets. Everyone was settling into their positions, while Mak had yet to even begin practicing what she had.

She still felt a little left out. But that was to be expected. Maki had never been very open when she attended UTX, with the exception of Kira Tsubasa.

Her fingers instinctively pressed on a key to rid of her thoughts; UTX disappeared, Tsubasa disappeared, Hachiro Yuji disappeared, even Maki disappeared as she replayed several notes to get her mind working properly. Everything disappeared…

Except for Nico. The older girl had glued herself into Maki's head, her annoying little voice echoing as loud as possible. The stupid catchphrase repeating as Maki tried to concentrate.

At first, the notes were quiet, her fingers barely pressing into the keys, yet still hitting them enough to hear each sound. She could still hear the slight buzz of other instruments, barely tampering with the soft melody Maki was testing out.

As Yuji walked by, he stole a look at Maki; eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed, and hands swinging across the keyboard. Her movements were jerky, ill-timed, and amateurish, but he could see the pure talent pouring out of her; Yuji couldn't help but smirk as he watched. He had little faith in her ability, but the passion on her face was a pleasant surprise.

_Ni-co... Ni-co Nii…_

_I think…_

Maki got five notes played, and smiled, sitting up to stare at the keys, repeating it over and over until they were ingrained into her head. Her left hand sloppily scribbled down the notes at the very top, inspiration settling into the pit of her stomach.

_I think I can get somewhere…! Thank you, Nico._

Just as Maki had been fully underwater with her song in progress, a sudden loud clap from the back stopped everyone's performance, all attention going to Yuji and the woman Maki knew as Nico's mother.

"Okay everyone, listen up," he began, grabbing the neck of Yukiho's cello to stop its loud ring of sound. Maki frowned, but turned her body to face him despite her lack of desire to. "We've already gone over the procedures, but you're probably wondering about the actual training sessions, right?"

Kujo made a loud hum of agreement, and that was all he got in terms of a 'yes'. "Well, we were initially going to gather a group of musicians for each section, but since this group is already so small… your instructor will be myself, for majority of you."

Maki could see the light already. With Yuji already giving her flack for the idea of a solo, she couldn't imagine what he'd say if she were to actually show him the sounds she was making.

"And as for Nishikino-san, you'll be trained by Yazawa-san here. She'll listen to and offer assistance regarding your solo performance. Not only that, but you will be getting double the lessons because of the lack of actual notes. Is that clear?"

The redhead nearly choked on her saliva, looking like a deer as she stared at Nico's smiling mother. To her, it was nearly impossible hearing that Nico had any talent in piano - until she actually heard her playing. But now, as she stared at the confident woman wearing her suit and giving her a nice friendly smile, Maki couldn't help blushing at her stupidity.

"I'll be glad to work with you," the woman said with a small bow, tilting her head as she grinned over at Maki. The pianist gasped and blushed, hiding her face within her arms on the keyboard. Despite them being different people, all Maki saw was an older Nico staring at her.

And that, she figured, wasn't very good.

"Now that that's out of the way," Yuji coughed, dusting away the awkward atmosphere surrounding his students. In his hands was a packet of papers, no doubt the schedule or the list of things they were to follow. "Those musicians we initially were going to hire as your teachers will be in the audience. Of course they will bring their families and friends, so don't expect it to be a small event; this includes your families if they can make it. We will meet here, at approximately six a.m., and will leave at exactly six-thirty. No later than that, so don't expect us to wait for any tardy students."

As everyone nodded, Maki couldn't help but feel something odd burning inside her chest. Like something was trying to tell her to decline. But she had no real reason to, and ignored it.

She couldn't wait; but at the same time, it scared her to be away for two weeks. Nico would no doubt find this interesting, if she wasn't busy with Umi, that is.

* * *

Eli and Umi watched in amusement as Nico paced in front of the first-year classroom despite the entirety of the school already evacuated once the day ended. The small student had ignored their invitation for lunch after the day was done, and immediately ran down to check and make sure her friend was at school, only to find her and her entire class missing from the room. The blonde President sighed, running a hand through her ponytail.

"_Watching_ her is making me feel exhausted," she said, chuckling when Umi opted to drink out of her milk carton instead of saying something. Eli nudged Umi with her elbow. "You had some business with her, you said?"

Umi lifted her mouth off the straw and nodded, a sliver of milk trailing down her chin that she didn't notice. "Ah, yes! I've been appointed to an idol instructor, it seems," Umi smiled, turning her head to Eli. Upon their noses bumping, she backed away, a bright red flush on her face. "E-Eli…?!"

The blonde ignored her stuttering and lifted a finger to trace the small dribble of liquid on Umi's skin before bringing that same finger to her mouth, looking to the ceiling as she tasted the faint milk on her tongue. "I should get one of those…" Eli said, turning her body in the direction of the vending machines. Umi, frozen and looking like a pale fish, simply watched her leave, still lightly sucking on that same finger.

"A-ahhh... " she sighed, staggering towards the wall to grasp at her chest. "That was… nothing but odd... "

After slamming her fist into the door, Nico wobbled over to Umi, both of them looking like wobbly wrecks. Umi steeled herself and cleared her throat to properly address her subordinate. "Well, are you ready to begin your first lesson in what it takes to be an idol?" she asked, her strong voice making Nico's knees go weak.

"A-ah… yes…! Yes, of course," Nico breathed, rubbing her bruised knuckles against her thigh, trying to pretend she wasn't at all in pain. Umi briefly glanced at her hand before swiftly turning on her strict mode, heading in the direction of the gymnasium. Nico hurriedly skipped ahead to catch up, barely bonking her face in Umi's shoulder as they turned a corner.

Umi crossed her arms, ignoring the occasional passersby to look at Nico, who could barely keep up with Umi's pace without jogging ahead every few seconds. "Looks like we need to first strengthen your cardio and legs," she said, pushing open the door leading outside. There were a few clubs training on the track, and the boys' baseball team was chanting as they hurried by, creating a barrier between the two girls and their destination.

Nico was already panting and sweating by the time they got there, uniforms in hand. Umi could tell today's lesson was going to be fairly short before Nico was going to pass out. "Okay, go ahead and change," she instructed, pointing at the disheveled Nico.

"What?! Here?!" Nico shouted back, looking around to make sure nobody was watching them. Luckily, nobody was; they were the only ones outside of the track and baseball field, and would only probably cross paths with a delinquent or some wandering student. Either way, Nico knew she had the freedom to change, and Umi knew that as well.

Pointing at the shorter girl, Umi took in a deep breath and clenched her fist. "As an idol, you should be prepared to change wherever, whenever, and however is most appropriate!" she yelled, Nico cringing at the edge to her voice. "If you can't even change into your gym uniform during training, you can forget changing into a whole different outfit in ten minutes!"

Nico groaned and slowly slid off her blazer, blushing as Umi continued watching her. "Do you mind?" she asked, shyly turning her head. Umi sighed and turned around, but not without giving Nico a slight glare of disappointment. When she developed this outgoing coach-mode, Nico had no clue. And she didn't care enough to find out.

"There, coach," Nico said, flipping her hair from under her shirt. The front had a tiny nametag with "Nico" written on it, since a huge one would only emphasize her lack of a chest. It was the only thing she was envious of Nozomi for. "Now what?"

Umi grinned, and pointed to the school gates (well, in the direction of them anyway). "I believe we can start going back and forth from here to there, don't you think so?" she asked, eyes glowing. Nico shrinked back, and went blank-faced when Umi hurriedly tore off her clothing to wear her own school gym uniform, even going as far as to tie her hair back.

Her legs were leaner than Nico thought; incredibly built, yet still nailing that charm idols needed to appear feminine. And her waist was perfect - thanks to healthy diets and a good exercise regime. Umi had endured a lot for her body, but Nico couldn't even take ten steps before running out of breath.

"A-are we really doing this…?" Nico weakly asked, reaching an arm out towards the idol before Umi was rushing away from her, dust flying up into Nico's nose. The third-year stood frozen, before she saw Umi skid to a stop.

"Would you like to make the run around the whole school instead?" Umi sweetly asked, although the dark shadow on her face made Nico stumble towards her, sweat already running down her face. "Ah! A race, Yazawa-san?!"

"No…. no that's not…" Nico wheezed, her lithe form barely touching the ends of Umi's ponytail. She looked like she was going to collapse any second while Umi kept a steady pace before her. From the looks of it, Umi went _hardcore_ with exercise. Whatever drills she went through when becoming an idol had surely been imprinted on the surface of her brain, and Nico wished she had just pulled a Maki and ran away.

Umi spun around to run backwards, while Nico was way behind her, coughing into her fist and staring at the pavement as she ran. "Keep your posture up!" she yelled, forcing Nico to reposition herself. "Remember to breathe! These are _basic_ rules of running!"

_Please, if there's any god above that loves me… save me!_

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Nico's beginning her Road to Idol, and Umi's not gonna be gentle! And Maki's gonna be gone with a band camp - what kind of Nico is she gonna see when she gets back?! (*imagining JoJo Nico…*) Whoa.

Alright guys, I might come back with another chapter sooner than we expect, but I make no promises! Hope you enjoyed~


	24. Yazawa Hina

NINE MONTHS?!

IT'S BEEN NINE MONTHS?!

Holy…

What am I doing with my life.

_**Disclaimer: IDNOLL**_

* * *

_**Love Me Like You Do:**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Three: Yazawa Hina**_

* * *

Sunday rolled in, and Maki awoke face-first in her pillow, sticky eyes peeling apart to glare at her alarm that decided to screech right in her ear. Growling in discomfort, Maki reached an arm over to let her hand slam on top of the dreaded device currently screaming at her to wake up. Shuffling in her blankets to find a comfortable spot to fall asleep again, Maki sighed when she realized what she was supposed to be doing.

_That's right._

She let out an annoyed gurgle and sat up, red hair in disarray and black bags signaling her lack of sleep. If anything was supposed to wake her up on a Sunday of all days, it was going to be something gravely important, like the end of the world or the Third Impact.

Which was still technically the end of the world.

Not some trip with her obnoxious band class and her even more obnoxious band teacher.

Scratch that, _orchestra_. Maki was sure if she called it anything different, her class would erupt in total chaos. Maybe even her instructor.

Sighing and dragging her body out of bed despite the warmth reaching for her to come back, Maki ran a hand through her gaudy hair and made her way to the closet, hoping to find something suitable to wear for the trip to her long-awaited band camp. She exited with a dark pink polo and a pair of grey sweatpants - if Maki was one to care for fashion, today was not the day for it.

"I need to be at the building soon," she grumbled to herself, hurling her bag over her shoulder. Music sheets and scribbled out notes almost filled it completely, leaving Maki in a tsunami of garbage each time she opened it. She also packed some clothes and other necessities, but otherwise left pretty unprepared.

"You'll have fun! I promise," her father suddenly exclaimed from the table. Maki jumped and nearly hit her head on the corner of the stairs at his sudden shout. He looked over his tablet and coffee mug to smirk her direction, and Maki sighed when she realized he wasn't a mirage. "Don't look so down. I know you have it in you."

The reassuring smile he gave as well as the tap on the head from their chef had Maki laughing. "Thanks, Papa. I'm off now!"

"Remember to take your underwear!"

Maki hurriedly ran back upstairs in a red-faced frenzy.

"Don't you look all freshened up," Koji-san laughed as Maki approached the car. He opened the door for her, but not after bowing his head to avoid her hazy glare. The look on her face told him she was still asleep, but it was still scary nonetheless. "Well, let us be on our way then."

The trip was short - Maki had too much on her mind to keep track of time - and once they arrived before the concert hall, Maki bit her lip. Standing alone in a much more casual outfit than usual was Nico's mother, already making eye contact with Maki through the tinted glass. A hastened beating in her chest reminded Maki of the situation she was in now.

"Alright, out you go," Koji-san said, patting down her head to bring her back to reality. Maki stepped out and gave him one last glare before she felt soft cloth on her cheek. Koji-san, removing his hat and bowing deeply, finally made her realize they were out in public.

"He-hey-"

"May you have a wonderful time, Maki-chan!" he said with a loud sniffle. "Stay safe and remember to eat three times a day and shower before bed! Also, my phone will stay on, so never hesitate to call me!"

Maki sighed and covered her eyes with her hand, quietly wishing he would just go away before the other students saw her being bowed to. "Okay, okay, I will! I'll be fine." She averted her eyes towards Nico's mother, who had looked away to give the two some privacy - which only made Maki more embarrassed with Koji-san.

"Well, I'll be on my way then…"

The car started up again, and soon enough Maki was alone on the curb, nervously biting her lip whilst making dainty steps towards the only other person around.

"Good morning, Nishikino-san," Nico's mother greeted, finally turning away from watching the sunrise. Maki gulped down the ball in her throat and nodded, shuffling her feet. "It seems most of the others are late, including Yuji-san, huh?"

The question went over her head, as Maki's train of thought went in a different direction. If Nico's mom was to go on this trip, what did that mean for Nico? Were she and her siblings alone for the next two weeks? Or was her dad watching over them while Nico went to school?

"Hm," she sighed, looking up at the white bus that had just pulled up before them. A few others had showed up while Maki was in her own thoughts, but they had stood a ways away from Maki, talking amongst themselves. She wanted to scoff.

They were jerks. All of them were.

"Is this everyone?" Yuji asked loudly with a clap of his hands, scanning each sleepy face with a bright one of his own. Maki sat up front, while Nico's mom occupied the seat next to her - it was awkward and uncomfortable, but Yukiho already had someone next to her, so she couldn't complain.

"Let us say goodbye to Tokyo for a little while, shall we?"

* * *

The noise that encompassed Nico's apartment was infuriating, and she wondered why her mother had decided to agree on leaving for some business trip now, of all times. She hurried to get Cotaro breakfast, while Cocoa and Cocoro were busy coloring in books. The babysitter was late, and Nico briefly thought to call in sick.

But then she thought about it again, and shook her head. If she needed her name spread around, Nico had to do more than sit at home.

"Cocoro!" she called, pushing her apron in her bag. The oldest of the three jumped and turned her head, and Nico motioned for her to get closer.

"You'll take care of these two won't you?" she asked, placing both hands on her shoulders. Cocoro nodded with a big smile. "Good! I'll bring you three some ice cream on the way home. Sound good?"

"Yay!" Cocoa called from the living room, throwing her hands in the air. "Nee-chan is the best!"

Nico smiled, and waved to them on her way out.

Across the hall, Umi let her stiff posture go slack, and waved to the surprised Nico. "Good morning," she said. "Sorry for surprising you. It doesn't take much to get information from your colleagues."

Nico laughed and shook her head. "You charmed them with your suave looks, didn't you?" She bumped Umi's shoulder, which the idol didn't reciprocate. "So what is it? I thought we didn't train on Sundays."

"_I_ don't. I never said anything about you," Umi answered. Nico stalled in the middle of the hallway, watching Umi's straight back with her mouth wide open. "I also told them I'll be using you for the day. So don't worry about needing to call in."

_You little…_

"Come on, unless you'd like to exercise in your normal clothes," Umi called at the end of the hallway, already pressing the button to head downstairs. Nico hurried inside and let out a short huff, crossing her arms.

Umi said nothing as the elevator descended, already feeling the daggers Nico was digging into her back. It didn't bother her - after all, Nico was going to go through much worse in the future.

"Why are we in Yoyogi park," Nico deadpanned, letting her duffel bag drop. She had hurriedly changed behind some trees and tied her hair into a single ponytail, and was now staring at the rather empty park with a few people and elderly feeding stray animals. The trees had yet to turn pink, but she could see a few torii poking out from behind their empty branches. Nico hadn't visited in awhile, and could feel a relaxing hum she remembered smooth across her skin.

Umi placed her hands on her hips and began to stretch, wordlessly dragging Nico into whatever scheme she was cooking up in her head. If Nico was right, based on all the stretching and the way Umi was focusing on her legs, they were going to run again.

"Okay… that should be enough," she heard Umi breathe, turning to Nico with a rather gentle grin. "Today we're going on a walk."

_Walk? _

Nico must have been wearing some sort of confused expression - next thing she knew, Umi was giggling quietly to herself and on her way. The older girl stood there in confusion until Umi began to shrink more and more, and finally decided to run off to catch up.

"Why walking? Aren't you more of a sadistic, evil type of personal trainer?"

Umi shrugged. "Sundays are days for resting, and although I'd like to keep your training at its max, days like should be fine, right?" She kept a steady pace, and her eyes wandered from the pond to the dinosaur-sized crows milling around. Nico could hear the fountain spewing water from the middle of the pond, as it smacked right back down as soon as it touched the sky.

"Compared to the idol life," Umi said, slicing the silence that was suffocating them in two. "This is something I'd prefer to engage in over any other form of exercise. I enjoy running and pushing myself, but…"

She reached out to brush one of the blooming cherry blossom buds, softly petting them until the whole branch began to shudder. Her posture was still perfect, and her form was nothing but elegant as she reached high into the branch. "Realizing what life can offer outside of all that really puts me at ease."

Nico bit her cheek, wondering why the sullen expression Umi was wearing made her stomach churn. Was she angry? Amazed? Sympathetic? She couldn't find the right word for it, and Nico was satisfied with not knowing.

After all, if she did end up finding a word for it, she was sure to feel even worse.

She said nothing in return, and Umi seemed fine with it, continuing their walk together as if nothing had happened. Nico was quick to follow her, knowing the rest of their exercise was going to be rather awkward.

_Dang it…_

* * *

_Damn it…_

Maki bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hide her scowl, but knew her eyes were doing enough work to get her message across. The girl standing across their shabby little dorm was none other than Kujo. The only reason Maki bothered to remember her was due to her inappropriate remarks about Yukiho's talent.

"Oh, I see we're roommates, Nishikino," Kujo calmly said. Maki could feel the poisonous words wrap around her throat, and the blank stare from those muddy brown eyes made her want to gag. "Let's get along."

"Huh. Sure," was all Maki said, sliding her bag down her shoulder until it plopped against her bed frame. The mattress of the bed was far too grungy to let her belongings touch it. While not exactly one of those cabins made of wood, it was still less than a single-star hotel.

_You're already thinking like one of them, Maki! Get ahold of yourself!_

Maki visioned Nico shaking her until the spoiled brat hidden within her fell out, and the thought of it made her chuckle a little as she busied herself with setting up her side of the cabin. The moment they touched down on the camp, Maki snatched her cabin number and was off to find it, ignoring the rollcall. Nico's mom made it her job to include Maki on the list - to which she was grateful.

Lake Ashi was just a minutes' walk from the main camp. Hiker trails made it easy to find it, although they were discouraged from wandering too far in case something happened to them. Maki scoffed, however, considering hotels and ryokans were just as close with little to no danger surrounding them.

She felt the brush of her cellphone, and was tempted to turn it on and check for any new messages, however she knew the biggest rule of all, one that would no doubt get her sent home over anything: no electronics. Hachiro had made it very clear that they were to be focusing on practicing until their fingertips and lungs were raw and bleeding. While not the most extreme Maki had endured outside of UTX, it was still up there in terms of ridiculousness.

"You should hurry and get your score sheets," Kujo said from her side of the room. Maki blinked as she watched her roommate grab her viola case and books. The other girl rolled her eyes and pointed to the tiny alarm clock settled in the corner of the room nearest the restroom. "We have practice at exactly five, remember? Oh right, you weren't there for the announcement," she explained, although it quickly turned into a whip of insults. Maki wanted to shred the girl to pieces, but kept her cool.

"I'm not stupid enough to ignore the printable schedules. But thanks for the reminder."

Maki collected her binder, filled with blank sheets to use, and brushed past the fuming Kujo. She briefly questioned if she was going to make it through all the rigorous practice - assuming Nico's mom was the real deal.

Unless Hachiro or Kujo didn't get to her first.

-0-

The building where her practices were held was right across from the dormitories. With a hallway connecting them, it was easy to get to and from practice and their rooms, leaving them with little excuses to be late. Maki could feel her feet burn with every step she took towards the room she was going to be locked in, wondering how different her lessons would be compared to Hachiro.

She could hear it now - Nico's mom laughing at her for being so expectant, and Nico herself laughing at her for thinking anything of them being able to play piano. The sound was so real, she couldn't hear the constant rattle of doors opening and closing, each group heading to their respective rooms.

The hallway she were roaming was a pure white, with doors stretching across the entire way until she saw a fire escape through a window. After every few steps, there was a window displaying the gorgeous lake, the famous pirate ship quietly waiting at the dock for the next trip. Stopping for a second to stare, Maki lifted her sights toward the slightly faded shadow of Mount Fuji. It was something she hadn't seen before - not as close anyway. She had only ever seen it in pictures, and even if it was just through some boring window in a boring building, no doubt was the view amazing.

Maki stopped when she heard the door behind her open, Nico's mom poking her head out of it to smile at her. "I've been watching you for over five minutes, and I'm sure Yuji-san will be very unhappy to see you spacing out."

Blushing at the soft explanation, Maki hurriedly scurried into the room, squeezing her eyes shut when she was met with a blinding white flash. It was just the room - a classroom, but everything was so overtly white it was almost scary. White tile floor, white walls, white blinds and bright white fluorescent lights.

There were a few seats scattered around, some foldable and others with padding, a computer chair, and of course, the bench to the piano waiting for her in the corner of the room. It sat right next to the window, and Maki felt odd with her back facing the door, but as she sat and watched Nico's mom pull up a seat next to her, she felt oddly at ease.

"First things first," the older woman said, placing her thin portfolio booklet of score sheets before Maki. Her fingers interlaced, and she placed her hands in her lap as she smiled at her student. "My name is Yazawa Hina, and I'm currently a retired pianist."

"Retired…?"

Hina waved a hand in the space between them, as if deflecting Maki's question away. "No no, we'll ask questions later. Right now, we're introducing ourselves!"

Maki grumbled, and she could tell by the vibration in her throat that she was letting out a grunt of annoyance. "Nishikino Maki, student pianist I guess."

"There we go! Now that we have that out of the way…." Hina reached for the thin portfolio folder in Maki's face, and flipped through it until she found what she was looking for. "This is what we're going to be basing your song on. I know you already have something in the works, so if we look at another song straight on, I'm sure it'll come much easier than making you run circles!"

Maki nodded, understanding what she meant although the song itself didn't look like something for beginners. It _was_ easier to look at something for reference though - she hadn't done that in a while, and for a second, she glanced at Hina in gratitude. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, and she gripped the edge of the seat behind her, hoping her blush wasn't noticeable.

Maybe if she got Nico out of her head, it wouldn't feel as awkward.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Typing in the dark made this painful to write.

But yaaay, Maki is finally in band camp! Now that I'm actually here it should be a breeze to write - let's hope I don't take another long hiatus.


End file.
